Vol. 6, Issue 1, Part A (2024)

Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial inflammatory skin disorder that predominantly affects adolescents and young adults, often leading to significant physical and psychological morbidity. The management of moderate to severe acne remains challenging due to limited efficacy, side effects, and patient non-compliance associated with conventional therapies. Recently, fractional microneedling radiofrequency (FMRF) has emerged as a promising minimally invasive treatment modality for acne vulgaris, offering both therapeutic and rejuvenate benefits through controlled dermal remodeling and sebaceous gland modulation. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), known for its regenerative and anti-inflammatory properties, has also been explored as an adjunctive therapy in various dermatologic conditions.
This study is a randomized comparative clinical study designed to evaluate and compare outcomes from FMRF alone versus FMRF plus PRP to determine if outcomes and quality of life improve in patients with moderate to severe acne vulgaris. Sixty patients were enrolled in the study and randomized to two groups: Group A received FMRF treatment only whilst group B received FMRF followed cupping and the topical application of PRP. All patients had three treatment sessions: treatment took place every three weeks. Clinical evaluations included the total number of lesions, Global Acne Grading System (GAGS), Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) assessed at baseline, immediately after, and 3 month follow up.
The results showed that both treatment groups significantly lowered inflammatory lesion count (p < 0.001) with group B producing superior results (72.4% improvement) than group A (55.6%). Similar results were found for the GAGS and IGA with the group B producing statistically better reduction of acne severity. Based on the DLQIs we can see that both groups had clinically and statistically significant reductions which evidence real and meaningful changes to patients' psychosocial well-being, however, patients who received PRP (group B) reported higher overall satisfaction and perceived benefit.
There were mild and transient side effects including: erythema, mild edema, and mild post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. No patients reported infection or scarring.
In conclusion, FMRF is a safe and efficacious treatment option for patients with moderate to severe acne vulgaris. Adding PRP to the treatment regimen with FMRF produced superior outcomes, improved recovery of skin texture, and a greater increase in quality of life as reported by patients. In situations where patients have not responded well to other treatment options, adding PRP may provide improve the overall treatment effects in the management of these patients with refractory acne utilizing this synergistic treatment process may be a valuable look into the future of more effective treatment approaches in current day dermatology.