Fractional microneedling radiofrequency and fractional 1927 nm thulium laser treatment offer synergistic skin rejuvenation: A pilot case series
Background and Aims
Facial rejuvenation has become an increasingly patient-driven procedure with speedy but significant results and minimal downtime being the holy grail of both patient and practitioners. Fractional techniques with both laser and radiofrequency sources have attracted attention with some good results, but still with some downtime. Combination therapy could offer the best points of the separate techniques to give synergistic results with minimal downtime. The present pilot mini-study investigated the safety and efficacy of facial rejuvenation with a combination of microneedling fractional radiofrequency (MFR) and fractional minimally-invasive thulium laser (FTL) treatment.
Results
Apparent smoothing of wrinkles and general improvement in skin condition was seen following the 3rd to 4th sessions. At the 16-week assessment very clear improvement was seen both with the naked eye and with specific analytical software from the imaging system. The total mean PGA score was 3.35 (out of 4), and all patients were extremely satisfied with the results. No adverse events were reported and pain was minimal.
Conclusions The combination of MFR and FTL was safe and effective, and produced synergistic results in skin rejuvenation in the Asian skin type which were judged to be better than either system used on its own. Further larger population, split-face and controlled trials are warranted to confirm these optimistic results.
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