Needling, Microneedling and Acupuncture in Dermatology Practice

Abstract

Mohammed Al Abadie and Leong A

Introduction: Microneedling, needling and acupuncture are some of the upcoming treatment modalities used in the management conditions. It has been postulated that in microneedling and needling, superficial trauma to the epidermis leads to the production of inflammatory cascade, resulting in production of growth factors that lead to skin rejuvenation.

Objective: Our aim of this review paper is to review the current evidence available for the efficacy of microneedling, needling and acupuncture in the management of skin conditions.

Method: We reviewed 21 papers which were a combination of pilot studies, systematic reviews, randomised controlled trials and prospective studies. Protocol studies for systematic reviews and non-English publications were excluded in this review.

Discussion: We found that microneedling and needling as adjunct therapies are more effective than monotherapy for the management of skin conditions. Meanwhile, the evidence on the efficacy of acupuncture in management of skin conditions is debatable. However, we noted that in all the papers we reviewed, sample sizes are small and risk of bias is high due to poor disclosure of methodology and poor blinding due to the practical nature of the interventions assessed.

Conclusion: We conclude that although evidence has shown significant improvement in using microneedling and needling as adjunct therapies, large randomised controlled trials need to be held. This is similar to the evidence for acupuncture as well.

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