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Fractional Erbium-YAG Laser and Platelet-Rich Plasma
as Single or Combined Treatment for Atrophic Acne
Scars: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Research Abstract
Introduction: Acne scarring is a common undesirable complication of acne vulgaris. Fractional erbium-yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) 2940 nm laser and platelet-rich plasma have been used in treating acne scars with variable outcomes. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of fractional erbium-YAG 2940 nm laser and platelet-rich plasma as a single line of treatment in comparison with combined treatment in atrophic postacne scars. Methods: Seventy-five patients were included in this trial and randomized into three equal groups (25 each). Group A was subjected to six sessions of erbium-YAG laser for 6 months, group B was treated with 12 sessions of plateletrich plasma over the same period, and group C was subjected to six sessions of erbium-YAG laser plus 12 sessions of platelet-rich plasma over the same period. Each subject was evaluated by acne scar grading, photography, and subjective evaluation. Results: Both treatment modalities showed improvement of acne scars, but the improvement with combined treatment was better than that with erbium-YAG laser or platelet-rich plasma alone regarding scar grade improvement (P = 0.007 and 0.001), clinical improvement (P = 0.001 and 0.001), and patient satisfaction (P = 0.005 and 0.001), respectively. Conclusions: The combination of platelet-rich plasma plus erbium-YAG laser is superior to either treatment alone for acne scars, with trivial side effects for all treatment modalities. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier; NCT03933033
Research Authors
Moustafa A. El-Taieb . Hassan M. Ibrahim . Eisa M. Hegazy .
Ahmed K. Ibrahim . Aya M. Gamal . Essam A. Nada
Research Journal
Dermatology and Therapy
Research Pages
1-11
Research Publisher
Springer
Research Rank
1
Research Vol
doi.org/10.1007/s13555-019-00318-1
Research Website
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13555-019-00318-1
Research Year
2019