Research Roundup

There are a variety of studies available involving the role of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as an assisted therapy for atrophic acne scars. On closer examination, the results of these studies were varied and there was no current meta-analysis found that looked particularly at atrophic acne scar treatment.

The objective of this study was to complete a meta-analysis assessing improvements in the side effects of PRP, as well as the effect of assisted therapy for atrophic acne scars. To carry this out, the study followed PRISMA guidelines and a full comprehensive search literature was carried out in September 2018 using the electronic databases of PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library. As a result, seven articles were included in this review and all of the studies published used PRP as additive therapy.

The results of the study included treatments such as fractional carbon laser therapy and microneedling. There was a reported four degrees of improvement in five of the studies, which had 249 participants. In four of the studies (with 200 participants), there was a reported mean improvement. A significantly higher amount of improvement was shown in the PRP group compared to the control group. There were fewer side effects, including erythema and edema noted in the PRP groups; however, there was no significance in the findings.