A team of scientists from the Department of Dermatalogy and Cutaneous Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is concentrating on nonablative treatments for acne scarring.
Lead scientist Brian J Simmons says one of the primary objectives of the research was to throw light on less abrasive treatments for acne scarring, which currently include invasive surgical techniques, subclusion, chemical peels, ablative lasers and fractional lasers.
Which is the best type of radiofrequency treatment?
The study, which appears in the current edition of the peer reviewed Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology journal, concentrated on the effects and actions of nonablative radiofrequency treatment, which have already garnered some attention as a skin rejuvenation process.
It works by passing a current through the dermis at a preset depth to produce small thermal wounds in the dermis, which are said to stimulate the dermis remodeling process, in turn producing new collagen and softening scar defects.
Simmons and his team reviewed all currently available radiofrequency processes, and found that the most effective solutions included microneedle bipolar and fractional bipolar techniques demonstrated the best results for acne scarring.
Scarring improvement of up to 75%
Using these methods, the scientists noted that an improvement of 25% - 75% can be expected after three to four treatment sessions using one to two passes of the radiofrequency equipment per session.
Various side effects were noted after the treatment, including transient pain, erythema and scabbing, but after some of the symptoms disappeared, the scientists found that the optimal results usually can be seen about three months after treatment.
The team says that further studies are now expected to be conducted to determine which Radiofrequency treatment modalities work best and for which specific types of acne scarring.