Atrophic acne scarring is a permanent complication of acne vulgaris, which causes significant psychological distress.

The present study assessed the effectiveness of a new complementary treatment of atrophic acne scars using subcision and injection of hybrid cooperative complexes of high- and low-molecular weight hyaluronan (hybrid H-HA/L-HA).

It included 82 patients and divided them into two groups with predominantly atrophic acne scarring, where Group 1 received subcision with saline injection, while group 2 received triple steps acne scar revision technique (TSASRT). 

After topical anesthesia, it combined the subcision and hybrid H-HA/L-HA technique. The first step utilized the subcision technique to release fibrous cords at the dermal or deep dermal subcutaneous plane using Nokor needles-18 g. The second step involved injecting the scars atrophic dermal component with a 29 g needle, applying an average amount of hybrid H-HA/L-HA (0.02-0.1 mL) to the dermal component. The third step included filling the subcisied space with hybrid H-HA/L-HA (0.02-0.1 mL) using a 25 g cannula.

The study observed:

• Clinical improvement in both groups.
• Significant improvements in the TSASRT versus subcision in acne scar severity index and qualitative scarring grading system.

This study considers the triple-step acne scar revision technique to be a safe and effective way to treat atrophic acne scars on the face.

Source: Mohammed GF, Al-Dhubaibi MS. Triple steps acne scar revision technique: a new combination therapeutic modality for atrophic acne scars. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2022;21(10):4659-68.