Efficacy and Safety of a 1064-nm Nd:YAG Picosecond Laser Versus a 1927-nm Fractional Laser for Atrophic Acne Scars.

Efficacy and Safety of a 1064-nm Nd:YAG Picosecond Laser Versus a 1927-nm Fractional Thulium Laser for Atrophic Acne Scars in Asian Skin: A Randomized, Split-Face, Evaluator-Blinded Trial.

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT07153679

Enrollment

Registered

2025-09-04

Start date

2021-01-01

Completion date

2021-08-01

Last updated

2025-09-04

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

Conditions

Acne Scar, Acne Scars - Atrophic

Brief summary

Atrophic acne scars are common disfiguring skin problems, especially in the Asian population prone to Post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH), and their treatment is highly challenging. 1064 nm microlens array picosecond laser (P-MLA) based on optomechanical effect and 1927 nm segmented thulium laser (FTL) based on photothermal effect are two emerging therapeutic techniques, but there is a lack of strict clinical evidence for direct comparison in the Asian population. This study aims to directly compare the clinical efficacy, safety and tolerability of 1064 nm P-MLA and 1927 nm FTL in the treatment of atrophic acne scars in the Asian population through a randomized, half-face controlled, evaluator blind trial.

Interventions

DEVICE1064-nm Nd:YAG Picosecond Laser

Treatment was performed using 1064 nm Nd:YAG microlens array picosecond laser (Picocare 450, WONTECH, Daejeon, South Korea). Received three treatments, with a 4-week interval between each treatment.

DEVICE1927-nm Fractional Thulium Laser

Treatment was performed using 1927-nm thulium fractional laser (Lavieen, WONTECH, Daejeon, South Korea). Received three treatments, with a 4-week interval between each treatment.

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

FACTORIAL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE (Caregiver, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 40 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Aged between 18 and 40. * Symmetrical atrophic acne scars on both sides of the face.

Exclusion criteria

* Uncontrolled active acne. * Pregnant and lactating women. * Infectious skin diseases at the treatment site. * Have taken retinoid drugs orally within the past 6 months. * Photosensitive individuals or those who have used photosensitive drugs within 2 weeks. * Keloid constitution.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
ECCA grading scale	Baseline and 20 weeks.	Scar shape: U-shaped sharp-edged scars (2-4 mm) = 20 points, irregular U-shaped (\>4 mm) = 25 points. Scar number: 0 scars = 0, ≤5 scars = 1, 6-20 scars = 2, \>20 scars = 3. ECCA score = Shape score × Number score. Higher score = more severe scarring.
GAIS score	Baseline and 20 weeks.	GAIS score: 1 = 0%-25% improvement; 2 = 26%-50%; 3 = 51%-75%; 4 = 76%-100%. Higher score = better improvement.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Melanin Index	Baseline and 20weeks.	Utilizing the DermaLab® Combo (Cortex Technology)
Erythema Index	Baseline and 20 weeks.	Utilizing the DermaLab® Combo (Cortex Technology)
Transepidermal Water Loss	Baseline and 20 weeks.	Utilizing the DermaLab® Combo (Cortex Technology)

Countries

China

Outcome results

None listed

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