The efficacy and safety of the fractional radiofrequency technique for the treatment of atrophic acne scar in Asians: A meta-analysis

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.To compare the clinical outcomes of fRF with the fractional laser technique in Asians with atrophic acne scar.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.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).Although some bias exists in our study, fRF appears to be a superior alternative for the treatment of atrophic acne scar in Asians.