A comparative study of microneedling alone versus along with platelet-rich plasma in acne scars

Context: There are several modalities of treating acne scars. The combination of microneedling and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a synergistic approach to treat acne scars. Aims: The aim was to compare the efficacy of microneedling alone versus microneedling with PRP in acne scars. Materials and Methods: This was a split face study conducted on 36 patients with acne scars who underwent four sessions of microneedling with PRP on right side and microneedling alone on left side at monthly interval. The total scars with subtypes and Ecchelle D’Evaluation Cliniques des Cicatrices D’Acne (ECCA) score were assessed at baseline and second, fourth, and sixth visits. Visual analog score (VAS) was evaluated by both physicians and patients. Statistical Analysis: The statistical analysis was carried out using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Paired-t test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to compare the results. Results: Mean age was 23.7±3.2 years with 17 male and 19 female patients. The mean total scars on right and left sides declined from 42.14±21.15 to 25.08±14.14 and 43.28+23.08 to 27.17±15.68, respectively, with insignificant differences (P-value = 0.094). ECCA score on right and left sides declined from 88.31±32.78 to 62.92±23.68 and 89.58±32.43 to 66.25±23.89, respectively (P-value = 0.058). VAS evaluated by patient and physician showed maximum improvement at second and third visits, respectively. Conclusions: This study showed no added advantage of topical application of PRP over microneedling in acne scars.