Chemical peels are a common treatment for acne scars, but a study published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology finds that, for patients with dark skin, microneedling is a significantly more effective treatment.
Researchers randomly assigned 60 patients with acne scars and dark skin (Fitzpatrick Skin Phototype IV to VI) to treatment with either 35% glycolic acid chemical peels or microneedling, both administered every two weeks for 12 weeks.
Microneedling therapy is a controlled skin injury that utilises instruments containing rows of thin needles that penetrate the dermis to a uniform depth. This induces rapidly-healing micropunctures with subsequent stimulation of collagen and elastin fibre production, resulting in skin remodelling.
Microneedling was initially developed as a tool for skin rejuvenation. However, it is now being used for a number of indications, which include: various forms of scars, alopecias, drug delivery, hyperhidrosis, stretch marks, and more. It is occasionally combined with delivery of radiofrequency energy, which is thought to enhance dermal remodelling and clinical effects. Despite its widespread use, data on the efficacy of microneedling are lacking.
Chemical peels involve applying a solution to the skin that removes the top layers.
Treatment produced an improvement of two points or more on the Goodman and Baron Scarring Grading System in 33% of patients who received chemical peels and 73% of patients who underwent microneedling.
“Based on the results of this study, patients whose darker skin precludes the use of stronger chemical peels, which can permanently discolour darker skin, should treat acne scars with microneedling,” said the study’s senior author Babar Rao, a professor of dermatology and pathology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “For patients with lighter skin who can use stronger peels without risk of discoloration, chemical peels might still be the best option for some.”
Source: EurekAlert!
