Subcision Followed by Diluted Calcium Hydroxylapatite Injection Versus Subcision Followed by Painting CROSS TCA Technique for the Treatment of Atrophic Acne Scars

Comparative Study of Subcision Followed by Diluted Calcium Hydroxylapatite Injection Versus Subcision Followed by Painting CROSS TCA Technique for the Treatment of Atrophic Acne Scars

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT07028567

Enrollment

Registered

2025-06-19

Start date

2023-01-01

Completion date

2023-06-22

Last updated

2025-06-19

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Atrophic Acne Scar, Calcium Hydroxylapatite, Subcision, Trichloroacetic Acid

Brief summary

This study aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of subcision followed by diluted calcium hydroxyapatite injection versus subcision followed by the painting original chemical reconstruction of skin scars (CROSS) technique using trichloroacetic acid (TCA) for the treatment of atrophic acne scars.

Detailed description

Atrophic scars present as depressions secondary to fibrous contractions. Subcision is a technique in which a needle is inserted under the acne scar to sever the fibrous tissue (tethers) that bind down the scar. This releases the fibrous tissue. The original chemical reconstruction of skin scars (CROSS) technique using trichloroacetic acid (TCA) entails focal application of highly concentrated TCA (70% to 100%) with firm pressure applied to the entire atrophic area using a sharpened wooden applicator until frosting occurs. Fillers containing hyaluronic acid, calcium hydroxyapatite, and poly-L-lactic acid are increasingly used to correct atrophic acne scarring as they augment soft tissue in variable degree and are most effective in soft rolling or boxcar scars.

Interventions

DRUGCalcium hydroxylapatite filler

Patients received calcium hydroxylapatite filler (CaHA) (Radiesse®).

DRUGPainting chemical reconstruction of skin scars trichloroacetic acid technique

Patients received painting chemical reconstruction of skin scars (CROSS) trichloroacetic acid (TCA) technique.

Study design

Allocation

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

20 Years to 50 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Age from 20 to 50 years. * Both sexes. * Patients with atrophic acne scars.

Exclusion criteria

* Patients with Fitzpatrick skin phototypes V and VI. * Receiving systemic isotretinoin medication at the time of the study. * Active bacterial, viral or fungal infections in the treatment area. * Hypertrophic scarring or keloidal tendency. * Photosensitivity or photodermatitis. * Unrealistic expectation, bleeding, coagulation disorders, and any other related skin disease. * Pregnant or lactating females. * Chronic debilitating diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, renal failure, hepatic diseases, chronic respiratory diseases or any endocrine diseases. * History of immunosuppressive drug intake or chemotherapy within 6 months before treatment.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Patient satisfaction	One week	Patient satisfaction was assessed at the final follow-up visit using a 5-point Likert-type scale, comparing outcomes to the pre-treatment condition. The scale ranged from 1 (highly dissatisfied), 2 (slightly dissatisfied), 3 (neither satisfied nor dissatisfied), 4 (satisfied), to 5 (highly satisfied).

Countries

Egypt

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026