Objective: To observe the therapeutic efficacy of ultrapulsed fractional CO₂ laser combined with bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on acne scars, so as to provide clinical evidence for future treatment of acne scars.
Methods: One hundred and twenty patients with acne scars admitted between October 2021 and August 2022 were selected as the research participants, of which 60 cases treated with bFGF plus ultrapulsed fractional CO₂ laser were regarded as the research group (RG) and 60 cases with ultrapulsed fractional CO₂ laser therapy alone were set as the control group (CG). The clinical efficacy, Échelle d’évaluation clinique des cicatrices d’acné (ECCA) score, and scar base depth before and after treatment were comparatively analyzed, and changes in skin pore value, texture value and skin barrier function were detected. Finally, the duration of redness, scabbing and erythema after treatment and the incidence of adverse reactions after treatment were counted.
Results: A higher overall response rate was determined in RG versus CG (P < 0.05). Besides, RG was lower than CG in post-treatment ECCA score, scar base depth, skin pore value, texture value and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and higher in skin water and epidermal oil content (P < 0.05). Moreover, the duration of redness, scabbing and erythema was shorter and the incidence of adverse reactions was lower in RG than in CG after treatment (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: The combination of bFGF and ultrapulsed fractional CO₂ laser is highly effective and safe in the treatment of acne scars, which reserves widespread use in clinical practice.
Keywords: bovine basic fibroblast growth factor, ultrapulsed fractional CO₂ laser, acne scars, safety, skin barrier function