A new study published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine aimed to establish the efficacy and safety of fractional radiofrequency (FRF) for moderate-to-severe acne scarring in a wide range of Fitzpatrick skin types using two different applicator tips, to deliver energy to the skin (80-pin of up to 124 mJ/pin and 160-pin of up to 62 mJ/pin).

Here, subjects enrolled received a series of three FRF treatments to the full face – 4 weeks apart. A visual analog scale was utilized to assess pain of the treatment. Subject satisfaction questionnaires were completed at follow-up visits at 6 and 12 weeks post the final treatment. Photographs were graded for change using the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS).

Image sets of 23 enrolled subjects were assessed by blinded evaluation, showing a statistically significant improvement from the baseline, to the 12-week follow-up, for acne scarring. Subject satisfaction was high – with an average satisfaction score of 3.27 out of 4. Pain was "mild" and treatments were rated an average of 2.15 on a 10-point visual analog scale. The GAIS score of patients treated with the 80-pin tip was 1.06 points and for the 160-pin tip was 0.85. Meanwhile, 95% of subjects reported either a mild, moderate or significant improvement or 91% said that they would recommend the treatment to a friend.

Therefore, FRF produced a statistically significant improvement in acne scarring when assessed by independent blinded evaluators. No serious adverse events occurred from treatment by either applicator tip. In addition, treatment pain was low and tolerable among individuals of all Fitzpatrick skin types, and subjects reported high levels of satisfaction with the results.

Source: Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. 2021 Aug 19. doi: 10.1002/lsm.23453.