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Needling treatments improve appearance of acne scars over time

Improvement in the appearance of acne scars was seen over time after three needling treatments, with minimal pain reported, according to researchers.

The researchers enrolled 20 participants with acne scars on both sides of their faces in a rater-blinded, split-face, placebo-controlled, parallel group, randomized study. Each participant had one side of their face randomly assigned to needling, with three treatments performed at 2-week intervals. Participants’ acne scars were rated by two blinded dermatologists based on digital photographs from baseline and the 3- and 6-month follow-up visits using a quantitative global scarring grading system. Fifteen participants completed the study.

In the control group, mean scar scores did not vary significantly from baseline to 3 or 6 months. Participants in the needling group had only nominally lower mean scar scores at 3 months, but significantly lower mean scar scores at 6 months compared with baseline, according to the researchers.

Patient-reported pain ratings were mild, with a mean pain rating of 1.08 out of 10. The pain rating increased slightly over time, with a week 4 rating mean of 1.75, according to the researchers.

Participants self-reported a 41% mean improvement in overall skin appearance on the treated side. Most of the participants were very satisfied with the procedure and reported that they would both undergo the procedure again and recommend the procedure to friends.

One of the theoretical advantages of needling compared with fractional laser is that there may be a lesser risk of pigmentation changes in patients with Fitzpatrick skin type III or greater, the researchers concluded.

Disclosure: See the study for a full list of all authors’ relevant financial disclosures.