ArticleAesthetic surgery journal. Open forum2026
Clinical Effects and Safety of Radiofrequency Microneedling for the Management of Melasma: A Retrospective Study.
Article in Aesthetic surgery journal. Open forum, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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.
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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.
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
Background: Melasma is a chronic hyperpigmentary disorder that is difficult to treat in patients with Fitzpatrick phototypes III to VI because of the risk of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. Radiofrequency microneedling (RFMN) is an emerging modality that targets dermal photoaging while minimizing epidermal injury. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of POTENZA RFMN in patients with melasma in a real-world retrospective cohort. Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective pre-post observational study of adults with clinically diagnosed melasma treated with POTENZA (Jeisys Medical Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea) at a tertiary dermatology center in Seoul, Republic of Korea, between May 2022 and May 2025. All treatments were delivered in bipolar mode at 1 MHz with an insulated microneedle tip (I-25 or I-49). The primary outcome was the change in modified Melasma Area and Severity Index (mMASI) from baseline to posttreatment. Secondary outcomes included physician-rated improvement, patient satisfaction, changes in texture and brightness, and adverse events. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the findings after excluding patients who received concurrent topical depigmenting agents. Results: Fifty patients (mean age 40.7 years; 60% female; Fitzpatrick type III in 80%) were included. Median (interquartile range) mMASI decreased from 6.15 (4.90-8.62) to 3.75 (2.18-5.92) (median ΔmMASI -1.80; median percentage reduction 32.3%; Conclusions: POTENZA RFMN produced clinically meaningful mMASI reductions, high physician-rated improvement, high patient satisfaction, and a favorable safety profile in this predominantly Fitzpatrick type III cohort of patients with mild-to-moderate melasma. These findings support RFMN as a promising adjunctive option and warrant confirmation in prospective controlled trials. Level of Evidence 4 Risk: For image description, please refer to the figure legend and surrounding text.
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