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

ABSTRACTBackground: 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. Objective: To compare the clinical outcomes of fRF with the fractional laser technique in Asians with atrophic acne scar. Materials and methods: 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. Result: 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 (...