Background: The fractional radiofrequency (fRF) technique is a recently emerged technique. However, the exact outcomes of fRF for treating atrophic acne scar in Asians are still unclear.
Objective: To compare the clinical outcomes of fRF with the fractional laser technique in Asians with atrophic acne scar.
Materials and methods: The databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched. Main clinical outcomes were participant-reported scar improvement, investigator-reported scar improvement, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), erythema duration, scab duration, and the pain level.
Result: Six randomized controlled trials were included in this meta-analysis. The scar improvement was similar in both groups regarding participant-reported scar improvement (p = 0.48) and investigator-reported scar improvement (p = 0.89). However, the incidence of PIH in fRF group was lower in comparison with the laser group (p < 0.001). The average duration of erythema was shorter in fRF group than in the laser group (p < 0.001). The mean time for debridement was shorter in fRF group than the carbon dioxide fractional laser system (p = 0.02). The pain level did not differ significantly in the two groups (p = 0.53).
Conclusion: Although some bias exists in our study, fRF appears to be a superior alternative for the treatment of atrophic acne scar in Asians.
Keywords: Acne scars; meta-analysis; radiofrequency.