Background: Striae distensae (striae alba) is a challenging cosmetic problem for which various treatment modalities have been applied. However, the treatment of striae distensae has not been satisfactory.
Objectives: This study was done to evaluate the effectiveness and the safety of enhanced penetration of platelet rich plasma with ultrasound after plasma fractional radiofrequency for the treatment of striae distensae.
Subjects and method: Eighteen participants with striae distensae were treated with a Legato system (Alma Lasers, Israel) every two weeks for a total of four sessions. Thereafter, in order to enhance platelet-rich plasma penetration, ultrasound is applied. Clinical photographs were taken before first treatment and two months after the final treatment. Objective and subjective improvement scores were evaluated to demonstrate the efficacy. Abdominal skin biopsies were obtained from three individuals and histological changes were analyzed by light microscopy.
Results: During the two months after the last treatment, the average width of the widest striae had decreased from 0.75 to 0.27 mm. In the objective assessment, 71.9% of the participants reported ''good" or "very good'' overall improvement. In the subjective assessment, and 72.2% of the participants reported ''very satisfied" or "extremely satisfied'' with overall improvement. The only reported side effect was post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (11.1%).
Conclusions: The plasma fractional radiofrequency and transepidermal delivery of platelet-rich plasma using ultrasound is useful in the treatment of striae distensae.