TITLE:
Depressed Acne Scars—Effective, Minimal Downtime Treatment with a Novel Smooth Motion Non-Insulated Microneedle Radiofrequency Technology
AUTHORS:
Yoram Harth, Monica Elman, Einat Ackerman, Ido Frank
KEYWORDS:
Microneedles, Radio-Frequency, Acne Scars, RF, Multisource, Fractional Lasers, Non-Insulated
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications,
Vol.4 No.3,
June
27,
2014
ABSTRACT:
Background: The microneedle fractional RF handpiece used in our study
(Intensif Handpiece, EndyMed Medical, Caesarea, Israel) is a novel handpiece
that uses a tip with 25 non-insulated, gold plated microneedle electrodes. The
needles are inserted into the skin by a specially designed electronically
controlled, smooth motion motor minimizing patient discomfort. RF emission
delivered over the whole dermal portion of the needle allows effective
coagulation resulting in minimal or no bleeding, together with bulk volumetric
heating. Study Design/Materials and Methods: The study included 20 patients,
treated for depressed acne scars using the IntensifTMMicroneedles handpiece
(EndyMed PRO Platform System, EndyMed Medical, Caesarea, Israel). The degree of
clinical improvement was assessed by the global aesthetic improvement scale
(GAIS) and subjects satisfaction by post treatment questionnaires. Results: The
number of treatments per patient varied between 1 and 6 (average 3.3 treatments
per patient). Eleven patients (55%) reported none to minimal pain, six (30%)
moderate discomfort and only three (15%) reported significant pain. Objective
evaluation of the improvement by a board certified dermatologist showed
improvement in 95% of patients. 25% showed excellent improvement, 50%
experienced good improvement, and the 20% showed minimal improvement. One
patient showed no improvement. Conclusions: The presented results show that the
tested electronically controlled motorized insertion, non-insulated microneedle
treatment technology provides a minimal discomfort, minimal downtime, effective
and safe treatment for depressed acne scars.