Treatment of acne vulgaris with fractional radiofrequency microneedling

Abstract

Fractional radiofrequency microneedling is a novel radiofrequency technique that uses insulated microneedles to deliver energy to the deep dermis at the point of penetration without destruction of the epidermis. It has been used for the treatment of various dermatological conditions including wrinkles, atrophic scars and hypertrophic scars. There have been few studies evaluating the efficacy of fractional radiofrequency microneedling in the treatment of acne, and none measuring objective parameters like the number of inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesions or sebum excretion levels. The safety and efficacy of fractional radiofrequency microneedling in the treatment of acne vulgaris was investigated. In a prospective clinical trial, 25 patients with moderate to severe acne were treated with fractional radiofrequency microneedling. The procedure was carried out three times at 1-month intervals. Acne lesion count, subjective satisfaction score, sebum excretion level and adverse effects were assessed at baseline and at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after the first treatment as well as 4, 8 and 12 weeks after the last treatment. Number of acne lesions (inflammatory and non-inflammatory) decreased. Sebum excretion and subjective satisfaction were more favorable at every time point compared with the baseline values (P < 0.05). Inflammatory lesions responded better than non-inflammatory lesions (P < 0.05). Adverse effects such as pinpoint bleeding, pain and erythema were noted, but were transient and not severe enough to stop treatment. Fractional radiofrequency microneedling is a safe and effective treatment for acne vulgaris.

A pilot split-scalp study of combined fractional radiofrequency microneedling and 5% topical minoxidil in treating male pattern hair loss

“…FRM has been reported to be a promising technique to treat inflammatory acne, acne scars and for skin rejuvenation . The radiofrequency released by the FRM device causes polar molecules to vibrate, and then converts this vibrating energy to thermal energy, generating well‐controlled column thermal zones.…”

Novel device‐based acne treatments: comparison of a 1450‐nm diode laser and microneedling radiofrequency on mild‐to‐moderate acne vulgaris and seborrhoea in Korean patients through a 20‐week prospective, randomized, split‐face study

“…It has been reported to improve skin laxity, wrinkles, and acne scarring with epidermal preservation with a rapid recovery time . Its effect on active acne lesions has been also reported through a few studies …”

Clinical studies of the treatment of facial atrophic acne scars and acne with a bipolar fractional radiofrequency system

“…6 In contrast to most lasers that target specific chromophores, RF radiation is affected by the electrical properties of the target tissue and is chromophore-independent and, thus, is expected to be safer for all skin types. 7 This system has been found to have significant beneficial effects on atrophic acne scars or acnes, whilst only causing minor side-effects, [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] but few clinical studies have examined the efficacy and safety of bipolar FRF treatment in Asian populations.…”