The following is a summary of “Impact of 30% supramolecular salicylic acid combined with ultra-pulse carbon dioxide fractional laser therapy on facial atrophic acne scars,” published in the July 2024 issue of Dermatology by Xiu-Feng et al.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study evaluating the efficacy of 30% supramolecular salicylic acid (SSA) combined with ultra-pulse CO₂ fractional laser therapy in treating facial atrophic acne scars.

They involved patients with atrophic acne scars treated (June 2020 to June 2022). The patients were assigned to either the combination group (SSA with ultra-pulse CO₂ fractional laser therapy) or the laser group (ultra-pulse CO₂ fractional laser therapy alone). Each group underwent 4 treatment sessions. Follow-up visits occurred every 2 months after each session and included evaluations of the Échelle d’Évaluation clinique des cicatrices d’acné (ECCA) score, effective rate, and visual analog scale score.

The results showed that the combination and laser groups had 72 and 61 patients, respectively. No significant differences were found in sex, age, or baseline ECCA score between the groups. The combination group had a higher effective rate (95.8% vs. 67.2%, P<0.001) and lower pain scores (during and after the intervention) (P<0.001). Erythema, edema, and crusting severity were milder in the combination group (P<0.001). Importantly, a higher proportion of patients were highly satisfied with the combination treatment (73.6% vs. 31.2%, P<0.001), indicating its acceptability and the Dermatology Life Quality Index improved more in the combination group (0.15 ± 0.40 vs. 1.39 ± 1.53, P<0.001) compared to the laser group.

Investigators concluded that the combination of ultra-pulse CO₂ fractional laser therapy and 30% SSA not only demonstrated improved efficacy in treating facial atrophic acne scars but also did so without any increased pain or adverse reactions, providing confidence in its safety and effectiveness.

Source: journals.lww.com/ijdv/abstract/9900/impact_of_30__supramolecular_salicylic_acid.143.aspx