Authors
Gabriela Lladó Grove, Katrine E Karmisholt, Peter A Philipsen, Peter Bjerring, Merete Haedersdal
Published in
Lasers in medical science. Volume 41. Issue 1. Jul 31, 2026. Epub Jul 31, 2026.
Abstract
Mature striae distensae, called striae albae, are common but treatment-resistant dermal scars. Fractional radiofrequency (FRF) can potentially act as transdermal permeation enhancer for topical tretinoin (TT). This study investigated FRF and TT as a combination treatment for striae albae. Twenty patients were included, each with four anatomically comparable areas that were randomized to (i) TT (ii) FRF (iii) combination FRF + TT and (iv) untreated control. Three treatment sessions were performed one month apart, and TT was also applied in-between. The change in striae from baseline to 20-week follow-up (Δ) was assessed using the Patient Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS, SUM: 6-60). At baseline, patients assessed the striae as moderate-severe (POSAS-PT: SUM medians 24-25) and at follow-up, they reported an improvement (POSAS-PT: ΔSUM 5-10 points), but only the combination treatment improved significantly better (FRF + TT vs. control p = 0.029). A blinded dermatologist confirmed a tendency towards treatment improvement (POSAS-OBS: ΔSUM: 0-2 point, all treatments vs control p≥0.269). A subtle tendency was observed in objective measures with 3D photographs. Combination treatment with FRF and TT was tolerable and improved patient-reported striae compared to control. Striae albae remain challenging, but the findings highlight a potential for future combination treatment approaches.Trial registration number: NCT05461755Date of registration: 15.07.2022.
PMID:
42533163
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 31 Jul 2026.
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