Micro needling In Vitiligo a systematic review

Antoine Salloum¹, Nagham Bazzi^2*, Diane Maalouf¹, Maya Habre¹, Ahmad Rached^3*

¹Department of Dermatology, Saint George Hospital University, Medical center, Beirut, Lebanon

²Faculty of Medicine, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon

³ Lebanese University, Lebanon

BACKGROUND Microneedling was initially introduced for skin rejuvenation, however, this minimally invasive procedure is now being used for the treatment of multiple dermatological conditions. Recent reports have shown its efficacy in the treatment of vitiligo.

OBJECTIVE This review analyzes the current literature on microneedling techniques, efficacy, and safety for vitiligo treatment.

METHODS An extensive PubMed was done to identify literature on microneedling treatment for vitiligo. Case reports, case series, and clinical trials were included in this review.

RESULTS All 14 articles evaluated showed improvement of vitiligo lesions after microneedling treatment. The combination of microneedling and topical tacrolimus, 5-FU, topical calcipotriol and betamethasone, NB-UVB with or without PDT, and triamcinolone acetonide solution yielded more efficacy than microneedling monotherapy

CONCLUSION: Microneedling is a safe and efficient technique in the treatment of vitiligo. Thus, it can be an alternative treatment for vitiligo especially when the latter is resistant to conventional therapies.

Audience Take Away:

• Microneedling was proved a safe and effective method for vitiligo treatment.
• Dosages and guidelines of microneddling were discussed.
• Further Randomized cohort studies assesing microneedling in combination with other treatments are now warranted.