Skin rejuvenation by microneedle fractional radiofrequency treatment in Asian skin; Clinical and histological analysis

Background For skin rejuvenation, microneedle fractional radiofrequency (RF) is a recently developed minimally invasive method for delivering RF energy directly into the skin using microneedle. Objective We evaluated efficacy and safety of microneedle fractional RF for skin rejuvenation in Asian skin and also conducted immunohistochemical analysis before and after treatment. Patients and Methods Twenty-five females (mean age 54.2, Fitzpatrick skin phototypes IIIIV) received three consecutive fractional RF treatment at 4-week intervals. Outcome assessments included standardized photography, physician's global assessment, patient's satisfaction scores, objective biophysical measurements, and histologic analysis including immunohistochemical staining. Results All patients showed clinical improvement on physician's global assessment and patient's satisfaction scores. Among objective biophysical measurements, improvement in hydration and skin roughness was noticed. Histologic examination revealed marked increase in dermal thickness, dermal collagen content and dermal fibrillin content. Side effects were minimal. Limitations The limitations are the small number of patients and lack of long-term follow-up. Conclusion Microneedle fractional RF is a safe and effective skin rejuvenation method in Asians. Lasers Surg. Med. 44: 631636, 2012. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.