Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40542236›Full record

SynthesisAesthetic plastic surgery2025

Microneedling for Facial Rejuvenation: A Systematic Review.

Jose A Foppiani, James E Fanning, Kassandra Beltran, Otakar Raska, Angelica Hernandez Alvarez, Iulianna Taritsa, Erin Kim, Maria-Jose Escobar, Daniela Lee, Umar Choudry and 2 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Aesthetic plastic surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Jose A Foppiani *Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 110 Francis St, Suite 5A, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2783-3531
James E Fanning *Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 110 Francis St, Suite 5A, Boston, MA, USA.
Kassandra BeltranFirst Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.
Otakar RaskaFirst Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.
Angelica Hernandez AlvarezDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 110 Francis St, Suite 5A, Boston, MA, USA.
Iulianna TaritsaDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 110 Francis St, Suite 5A, Boston, MA, USA.
Erin KimDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 110 Francis St, Suite 5A, Boston, MA, USA.
Maria-Jose EscobarDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 110 Francis St, Suite 5A, Boston, MA, USA.
Daniela LeeDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 110 Francis St, Suite 5A, Boston, MA, USA.
Umar ChoudryDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Samuel J LinDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 110 Francis St, Suite 5A, Boston, MA, USA. sjlin@bidmc.harvard.edu.
Otakar Raska

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMicroneedling (MN) has risen in popularity as a non-surgical treatment option for facial skin aging. We aimed to evaluate patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) and safety profiles associated with MN.

methodsA systematic review was conducted adhering to PRISMA guidelines. Articles were screened for relevance in a two-stage process. Descriptive statistics and a proportion meta-analysis was utilized for patient satisfaction using Stata statistical software.

resultsOf 346 studies identified, a total of 21 articles reporting outcomes of 723 patients undergoing MN for facial rejuvenation were included for review and meta-analysis. The patient cohort was majority female (72%), and the average age was 48 years. The most common esthetic study endpoints were wrinkling (71%, 15/21), skin texture (33%, 7/21), photoaging (29%, 6/21), and skin laxity (14%, 3/21). The majority of trials (90%, 19/21) treated patients with multiple MN sessions, and these studies' treatment schedules also varied by number and timing of sessions. Pooled meta-analysis revealed that 83% of patients reported satisfaction with their treatment (95% CI [0.76; 0.88]). The most common reported adverse effects were transient erythema (6.8%), scaling (1.7%), burning sensation (1.5%), and pruritus (0.4%).

conclusionOur meta-analysis revealed that MN is associated with high patient satisfaction and low rates of adverse events. High patient satisfaction coupled with a low incidence of adverse events supports MN as a viable non-surgical treatment option for facial rejuvenation. However, the lack of standardized measures for esthetic outcomes warrants continued research to better determine its efficacy in treating signs of facial aging. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

Indexed as

Cosmetic TechniquesNeedlesRejuvenationSkin AgingAdultEstheticsFaceFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresPatient SatisfactionPercutaneous Collagen InductionTreatment OutcomeAgingEstheticFacial rejuvenationMicroneedlingPlastic surgery

Identifiers

PMID40542236

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.