Clinical effects of radiofrequency microneedling versus fire needle therapy on facial acne
10.3760/cma.j.cn341190-20240621-00785
- VernacularTitle:射频微针与火针治疗面部痤疮的临床效果比较
- Author:
Xiaoqiong LIN
1
;
Changchang LI
1
;
Shan ZHANG
1
Author Information
1. 温州市中西医结合医院皮肤科，温州 325000
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Acne vulgaris;
Acupuncture therapy;
Pulsed radiofrequency treatment;
Photomicrography;
Skin pigmentation;
Visual analog scale
- From:
Chinese Journal of Primary Medicine and Pharmacy
2025;32(2):197-203
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To investigate the clinical effects of radiofrequency microneedling versus fire needle therapy on facial acne. Methods:Ninety patients with facial acne treated at Wenzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine from January 2022 to December 2023 were included in this study. Each patient's facial areas were divided into a radiofrequency microneedling group and a fire needle group, with treatments conducted every 2 weeks for a total of two sessions. The improvement of skin lesions on both sides was assessed using the Global Acne Grading System (GAGS), while the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the severity of pain experienced by patients. The incidence of adverse reactions, recurrence rates, and patient satisfaction were statistically analyzed. Additionally, a reflective confocal microscope was used to observe the imaging characteristics of the lesions before and after treatment.Results:At 2 and 4 weeks post-treatment, GAGS results showed that the improvement rates for skin lesions in the radiofrequency microneedling group were 83.33% (75/90) and 90.00% (81/90), respectively, both of which were significantly higher than those in the fire needle group [70.00% (63/90), 78.89% (71/90), χ2 = 4.47, 4.22, P = 0.034, 0.040]. The incidence of pigmentation in the radiofrequency microneedling group was 4.44% (4/90), which was slightly higher than that in the fire needle group [2.22% (2/90)]. However, there was no significant difference in overall incidence of adverse reactions between the radiofrequency microneedling and fire needle groups [15.56% (14/90) vs. 20.00% (18/90), χ2 = 0.60, P = 0.436]. The recurrence rate was lower in the radiofrequency microneedling group [10.00% (9/90)] compared with the fire needle group [22.22% (20/90), χ2 = 4.97, P = 0.026]. The VAS score for the radiofrequency microneedling group was (4.12 ± 1.33) during the first treatment and (3.30 ± 1.05) during the second treatment, both of which were significantly higher than those in the fire needle group [(3.67 ± 1.12), (2.88 ± 0.86), t = 2.45, 2.93, P = 0.015, 0.004]. Patient satisfaction with treatment outcomes did not significantly differ between the radiofrequency microneedling and fire needle groups [92.22% (83/90) vs. 87.78% (79/90), χ2 = 0.98, P = 0.320]. Results from the reflective confocal microscope indicated that after treatment, the hair follicles in both the radiofrequency microneedling and fire needle groups exhibited a distinct funnel shape and oval appearance, along with a noticeable reduction in funnel diameter compared with pre-treatment observations. Additionally, there was a decrease in the central amorphous material, a reduction in the size of the bright edge zone, and a decline in the infiltration of inflammatory cells, with no significant differences observed between the two groups. Conclusions:For facial inflammatory acne lesions (such as papules and pustules), both radiofrequency microneedling and fire needle treatments have shown good effectiveness. The fire needle treatment leads to less pain, while radiofrequency microneedling has a lower recurrence rate, but it carries a slightly higher risk of hyperpigmentation.
