Abstract

Objectives: Treating acne scars in Southeast Asia for skin types 3-5 in sunny areas is challenging. Hyperpigmentation is the topmost concern, and aggressive treatment may not be suitable due to long downtime and side effects. We prepare the patient's skin with a skin conditioning treatment, involving the daily use of SPF 50 sunscreen and topical low-dose tretinoin. Meanwhile, we prepare the patient's mindset and encourage lifestyle changes from outdoor to more indoor activities. We ensure the patients' commitment to following our instructions in order to achieve the expected results. Introduction: I will share how I treat acne scars in patients with skin phototypes 3-5 in a tropical zone. We use ablative laser and controlled tissue wounding and heating with microneedle radiofrequency. We personalize the parameters according to each patient. We also provide topical treatment between procedures. Materials / method: Immediately after each treatment, while the skin channels are still open, we apply secretome from umbilical cord Wharton's jelly stem cell culture. The pain level is less than 5 out of 10, and the redness lasts only a few hours. Results: We achieve good results with low pain levels during treatment and a short downtime. The skin heals in 4-5 days; even 2 days after the procedure, patients can resume normal activities without noticeable effects Conclusion: Combination of ablative and microneedle radiofrequency treatment is a good choice for acne scars in Southeast Asia.