Platelet-rich plasma for striae distensae: What do we know about processed autologous blood contents for treating skin stretchmarks?-A systematic review

Microneedling Therapy for Striae Distensae: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Striae distensae (SD), linear scars of derma, caused by disproportionate skin stretching, which indicates a cosmetic problem and even endangers individuals' psychosocial health. Microneedling, representing a relatively new procedural therapy, has shown brightening but diverse results in the remedy of SD. Our study systematically investigates and further evaluates the efficacy of microneedling for SD.

METHOD

This study was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. According to the preplanned search strategy, four electronic databases were comprehensively searched for eligible clinical controlled studies. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and odd ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for continuous data and dichotomous data, respectively.

RESULTS

According to the predetermined criteria, eleven eligible articles of six RCTs and five non-RCTs were included. Concerning clinical improvement, a significant difference was observed in the microneedle radiofrequency treatment subgroup (SMD: 0.57, 95% CI 0.20-0.94, P = 0.003). The pooled result of the second subgroup revealed that microneedling and lasers producing almost comparable effectiveness for treating SD with no significant difference (P = 0.35). The analysis result of the third subgroup of microneedling versus non-laser therapy indicated significant difference at the 5% significance level (SMD:1.01, 95% CI 0.51-1.51, P < 0.0001). With regard to patient satisfaction, the pooled estimate concluded that participants' satisfaction with therapeutic effect between MRF and laser group was comparable (P = 0.26), whereas microneedling exhibited significant superiority than both laser (P = 0.04) and non-laser treatments (SMD: 0.95, 95% CI 0.52-1.38, P < 0.0001). Occurrence of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) was not obvious in microneedling therapy compared to other treatments, and a statistically difference was observed (P = 0.0003). Microneedling treatment caused significant pain compared with laser therapy (P < 0.00001).

CONCLUSION

This systematic review and meta-analysis has provided initial evidence of the efficacy and safety of microneedling technology for SD.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

The Biological Role of Platelet Derivatives in Regenerative Aesthetics

Bioproducts derived from platelets have been extensively used across various medical fields, with a recent notable surge in their application in dermatology and aesthetic procedures. These products, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), play crucial roles in inducing blood vessel proliferation through growth factors derived from peripheral blood. PRP and PRF, in particular, facilitate fibrin polymerization, creating a robust structure that serves as a reservoir for numerous growth factors. These factors contribute to tissue regeneration by promoting cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration and collagen/elastin production. Aesthetic medicine harnesses these effects for diverse purposes, including hair restoration, scar treatment, striae management, and wound healing. Furthermore, these biological products can act as adjuvants with other treatment modalities, such as laser therapy, radiofrequency, and microneedling. This review synthesizes the existing evidence, offering insights into the applications and benefits of biological products in aesthetic medicine.

Evaluation of the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells derived conditioned medium in the treatment of striae distensae: a double blind randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Striae distensae is a disfiguring atrophic skin condition that impairs the body's aesthetic image. Despite the variety of conducted studies, there is controversy regarding the best modalities. Human mesenchymal stem cells are considered a rich source for scar treatment. Skin needling is among the most efficient and safe aesthetic and therapeutic devices. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of needling and intradermal injection of mesenchymal stem cells compared to skin needling alone for treating striae distensae.

METHOD

This study was a randomized, double-blind clinical trial involving 10 women aged 18-60. Each striae lesion was divided into two parts, with one side receiving needling and intradermal injection of conditioned medium, while the other side received needling and intradermal injection of normal saline. This treatment was administered in three sessions with three-week intervals. Patients were evaluated before the first intervention and three months after the final session. Three months after the completion of the intervention, patients' lesions were evaluated using biometric criteria, physician evaluation, and patient self-assessment.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated a significant improvement in dermal and complete thickness and skin density in patients treated with microneedling. All skin ultrasound parameters improved significantly in patients receiving the combination of needling and conditioned medium. When comparing the two groups, significantly higher physician and patient satisfaction was observed in the combination group. However, the comparison of biometric indices improvement wasn't significant between these groups.

CONCLUSION

The combination of human mesenchymal stem cells with microneedling could be considered a novel effective option for stretch marks.

The efficacy and safety of the innovative cold atmospheric-pressure plasma technology in the treatment of striae distensae: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Available current therapeutics modalities for striae distensae (SD) provide inconsistently effective outcomes. There is ongoing research on innovative treatment modalities to find better treatment solutions.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of innovative cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) technology in the treatment of striae distensae.

METHODS

This study includes twenty-three patients with striae distensae. The body was divided into two halves. One side was randomly treated with CAP biweekly on the same treated side for five sessions with 30 days follow-up after the last session. Another half was left untreated. Efficacy assessment was done using patient and observer scar assessment scale (POSAS), patient satisfaction scales, and Antera 3D® skin imaging system. Safety assessment was evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS) and adverse effects monitoring.

RESULTS

Patient and observer scar assessment scale, patient and observer overall opinion score, and patient and observer total score in a summary of all rated characteristics, comparing treated and untreated areas, showed a statistically significant reduction in all parameters after one treatment (*p-value <0.05). Patients rated satisfaction as a great improvement in 52.3%, moderate improvement in 39.1%, extreme improvement in 4.3%, and slight improvement in 4.3%. Adverse effects included small scabs, shallow wounds, and rash.

CONCLUSION

Cold atmospheric plasma is a safe and effective, innovative treatment modality for striae distensae with minimal side effects.

Platelet-Rich Plasma in Plastic Surgery: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is gaining popularity and is applied in a variety of clinical settings. This review aims to present and evaluate available evidence regarding the use of PRP in various applications in plastic surgery.

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, and Embase were searched using predefined MeSH terms to identify studies concerning the application of PRP alone or in combination with fat grafting for plastic surgery. The search was limited to articles in English or German. Animal studies, in vitro studies, case reports, and case series were excluded.

RESULTS

Of 50 studies included in this review, eleven studies used PRP for reconstruction or wound treatment, eleven for cosmetic procedures, four for hand surgery, two for burn injuries, five for craniofacial disorders, and 17 as an adjuvant to fat grafting. Individual study characteristics were summarized. Considerable variation in preparation protocols and treatment strategies were observed. Even though several beneficial effects of PRP therapy were described, significance was not always demonstrated, and some studies yielded conflicting results. Efficacy of PRP was not universally proven in every field of application.

CONCLUSION

This study presents an overview of current PRP treatment options and outcomes in plastic surgery. PRP may be beneficial for some indications explored in this review; however, currently available data are insufficient and systematic evaluation is limited due to high heterogeneity in PRP preparation and treatment regimens. Further randomized controlled trials employing standardized protocols are warranted.

Subcision, chemical peels, and platelet-rich plasma: Combination approaches for the treatment of striae distensae

Striae distensae (SD) are disfiguring skin condition causing cosmetic troubles and psychological distress. The aim was to compare the efficacy and safety of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) versus its combination with subcision or medium-depth peeling (glycolic acid 70% followed by trichloroacetic acid [TCA] 35%) for SD treatment. Seventy-five female patients with SD were divided into three equal groups with the contralateral side in each patients represented the control group. Group A treated with PRP, group B received PRP + subcision while group C received PRP + combined peeling (GA 70% + TCA 35%). Primary outcome included clinical improvement, patients' satisfaction, and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Striae measurement, skin biopsies were also assessed. Very much improvement was achieved in 28%, 44%, and 36% in groups A, B, and C respectively. The combined groups (B and C) showed significantly higher patients' satisfaction and DLQI than group A (p = 0.03), (p < 0.0001). A significant decrease in all striae measurements was achieved with all groups (p < 0.001); however, groups B and C showed more decrease (p = 0.2 and 0.4). A highly significant decrease in the mean number of sessions was found in group B (p < 0.0001). All groups demonstrated improvement in dermal collagen deposition, which was higher in the combined groups. Side effects were mild and well tolerated. The combination of PRP with subcision or peeling was more effective and offered a higher therapeutic response than PRP alone. Moreover, the subcision has superior efficacy in striae albae and safer in darker skin types.

Platelet-rich plasma for striae distensae: What do we know about processed autologous blood contents for treating skin stretchmarks?-A systematic review

Striae distensae, also known as stretch marks, particularly associated with female sex, pregnancy, obesity, and/or hormonal change, are linear bands of benign dermal lesions. Although not posing any health risk, aesthetically unpleasing stretch marks can cause significant psychological distress among those affected. In abundance of therapeutic approaches, some literature sources proclaim platelet‐rich plasma to be a promising treatment modality for striae distensae. We aimed to shed some light on the current literature evidence of platelet‐rich plasma for treating stretch marks and performed an English literature analysis with two independent reviewers in accordance with PRISMA guidelines searching the PubMed and Web of Science databases in June 2019. Of the 12 found studies, 6 matched inclusion criteria. With no control groups in two, just two other reports used intraindividual comparisons, and all but one publication performed histopathological assessments. All studies observed clinical and subjective improvements without using validated scores or patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs). The main findings were that multiple treatments with platelet‐rich plasma demonstrated increased epidermal thickness, rete ridges formation, and collagen/elastin formation, while decreasing the inflammatory cell infiltrate. The current literature evidence supporting the use of platelet‐rich plasma for striae distensae is poor. We propose in this review an outline for a study protocol with intraindividual control groups, standardised scores, validated PROMs, and participant incentives to enhance the scientific power in future clinical trials.