Journal of

Background and Aim: Atrophic scars constitute a common complication of acne and various methods have been proposed for their treatment. This study aims at comparing the efficacy of fractional CO₂ laser with microneedling in the management of atrophic acne scars.

Methods: Patients with atrophic acne scars presenting to dermatology clinic of Hamadan’s Sina hospital between March 2016 and March 2018 were included in the study. Every 3 weeks, each patient received fractional CO₂ laser on one side of the face and microneedling on the other side, for a total of 4 sessions. Patient’s satisfaction and the severity of scars (based on Goodman and Baron’s scar scale) were assessed 1, 2 and 6 months thereafter.

Results: Overall, 24 participants were included. Prior to intervention, no significant difference was observed between groups in terms of mean scar score (P=0.726). At 1, 2 and 6month follow-up visits, the scar score of the side treated with laser was significantly lower than the microneedling side (P for 1, 2 and 6month follow-up visits: 0.033, 0.008 and 0.014). No significant difference was observed between groups in terms of patient’s satisfaction (P for 1, 2 and 6 month follow-up visits: 0.589, 0.469 and 0.840). The most prevalent side effect was erythema in 3 patients treated with laser. Due to low prevalence, statistical analysis of side effects between groups was impossible.