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Derma Update : A prospective study of microneedling of scars with long-term follow-up

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eMediNexus    25 May 2020

Nowadays, microneedling has been progressively used to treat various dermatologic conditions, which also includes scars. Even though earlier studies revealed improvement of atrophic scars with microneedling, the total number of patients assessed were comparatively small, and the devices and treatment protocols used and post treatment follow-up also varied widely.

A prospective observational study was conducted with the results of microneedling on patients with a variation of scars. One hundred twenty consecutive patients (skin phototypes I through VI) with facial and non-facial scars from various etiologic sources (acne, trauma, surgery) were treated by using a mechanical microneedling device. No added treatments, either topical or intralesional, were applied. Two evaluators blinded to treatment protocol rated clinical improvement of scars 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment on a 5-point scale.

Patients received 1 to 6 successive monthly microneedling treatments. All scars improved by at least 50 percent after an average of 2.5 treatments. More than 80 percent of patients had 50 to 75 percent improvement, and 65 percent of patients showed over 75 percent improvement. No significant clinical differences were seen in treatment responses of facial scars versus non facial scars. Also, no clinical differences between responses of atrophic acne scars and traumatic or surgical scars were seen.

The study supported the use of microneedling for different facial and non-facial scars through a broad range of skin phototypes with minimal risk of adverse effects. More studies are needed to establish standardized protocols to enhance treatment outcomes for different types of scar.

Source: Alster TS, Li MKY. Microneedling of Scars: A Large Prospective Study with Long-Term Follow-Up. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2020 Feb; 145(2):358-364

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