Background
Striae distensae or stretch marks, although not a health risk, are of significant cosmetic concern as it affects the patient’s psychological condition. Although many treatment
modalities have been attempted with variable results, there is no standard treatment modality for it.
Objective:The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of a microneedling system (dermaroller) when used alone or combined with 15–30% trichloroacetic acid (TCA) in the management of striae rubra.
Patients and methods:
This clinical trial included 30 female patients with abdominal striae rubra treated with a dermaroller alone on the left side of the abdomen (GI) and with a dermaroller+15–30%
TCA on the right side of the abdomen (GII). Patients were treated for six sessions at
3-week intervals. We assessed the clinical features (length, width, color, and texture)
of striae in each group at every session and 3 weeks after the end of the sessions
(follow-up). The response to treatment was assessed objectively by the treating physicians at every session and skin biopsies stained with hematoxylin and eosin and picrosirius red stains. Subjective assessment of the clinical photographs and patient satisfaction scores was carried out by two uninvolved blind dermatologists at every session.
Results
A comparison between GI and GII at the follow-up session revealed statistically significant differences in length (P=0.002), width (P