Role of Microneedling in Atrophic Post-Acne Scars: An Experience from a Tertiary Care Hospital

Objective To evaluate the outcomes of microneedling in patients with atrophic post-acne scars. Methodology A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Dermatology, Patel Hospital for a duration of six months. Patients who were diagnosed with moderate to severe-grade atrophic acne scars were enrolled in the study. Patients with a history of photosensitivity, systemic lupus erythematosus, and xeroderma pigmentosum were excluded from the study. Goodman and Baron’s acne scar-grading system was used to evaluate the degree of atrophic scarring. A total of three sessions divided into four weekly intervals were conducted. The scar-grading was done before the procedure and after three treatment sessions using Goodman and Baron's acne scar grading system. Results A total of 50 patients were included in this study; 36 (72%) were females and 14 (28%) were males, with a mean age of 30.92±6.19 years. A decrease in the acne scar-grade was noted from grade III to grade II after three sessions of treatment. A significantly higher number of patients were in grade II after three-month sessions compared with before treatment (p=0.009), and a significantly lesser number of patients were in grade III (p=0.045). A significantly higher proportion of patients with moderate acne scars, as compared to severe, were in grade II (77.3% vs. 22.7%; p<0.001). Conclusion In this study, we found an improvement in the scar grade after microneedling sessions. However, as the study was retrospective, we suggest prospective randomized controlled trials in our set-up to better uncover the role of microneedling in reducing acne scars.