Radiofrequency-assisted subcision combined with polycaprolactone-based dermal fillers in the management of atrophic facial acne scars: A pilot investigative study.

Abstract

The scar's appearance and psychological burden are the most esthetically challenging issues in acne vulgaris. This study investigated the effectiveness and safety profile of combined radiofrequency-assisted subcision, which, even though effective on both Icepeak and Rolling subtypes, is only mildly effective on boxcar lesions, and polycaprolactone-based dermal filler with collagen stimulation potency in managing atrophic postacne scars. Our quasi-experimental single-arm study, after the inclusion of 10 cases over the age of 18 with moderate to severe mixed atrophic facial acne scarring, was carried out in two 3-month separate sessions, during and after the intended intervention of which the experienced lesion improvements and also adverse events were documented. Moreover, all cases were followed for 3 months after the last session, evaluating the differences in the mentioned outcomes. We found the combined intervention to be highly effective in improving the intended outcomes, with the total number of acne lesions (p-value < 0.001), along with the total number of Ice peak (p-value = 0.002), Rolling (p-value < 0.001), and boxcar (p-value = 0.023) lesions demonstrating statistically significant changes. Radiofrequency-assisted subcision combined with polycaprolactone-based dermal fillers can be an effective intervention in managing postacne scars. However, we recommend that randomized clinical trials with larger sample sizes be carried out for a more precise conclusion.