BACKGROUND: Striae distensae (SD), linear scars of derma, caused by disproportionate skin stretching, which indicates a cosmetic problem and even endangers individuals\' psychosocial health. Microneedling, representing a relatively new procedural therapy, has shown brightening but diverse results in the remedy of SD. Our study systematically investigates and further evaluates the efficacy of microneedling for SD.
METHODS: This study was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. According to the preplanned search strategy, four electronic databases were comprehensively searched for eligible clinical controlled studies. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and odd ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for continuous data and dichotomous data, respectively.
RESULTS: According to the predetermined criteria, eleven eligible articles of six RCTs and five non-RCTs were included. Concerning clinical improvement, a significant difference was observed in the microneedle radiofrequency treatment subgroup (SMD: 0.57, 95% CI 0.20-0.94, P = 0.003). The pooled result of the second subgroup revealed that microneedling and lasers producing almost comparable effectiveness for treating SD with no significant difference (P = 0.35). The analysis result of the third subgroup of microneedling versus non-laser therapy indicated significant difference at the 5% significance level (SMD:1.01, 95% CI 0.51-1.51, P < 0.0001). With regard to patient satisfaction, the pooled estimate concluded that participants\' satisfaction with therapeutic effect between MRF and laser group was comparable (P = 0.26), whereas microneedling exhibited significant superiority than both laser (P = 0.04) and non-laser treatments (SMD: 0.95, 95% CI 0.52-1.38, P < 0.0001). Occurrence of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) was not obvious in microneedling therapy compared to other treatments, and a statistically difference was observed (P = 0.0003). Microneedling treatment caused significant pain compared with laser therapy (P < 0.00001).
CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis has provided initial evidence of the efficacy and safety of microneedling technology for SD.
METHODS: 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 .

BACKGROUND: Striae are fine lines on the body that occur following rapid skin stretching (i.e., following pregnancy, puberty, weight change). The aim of this systematic review was to assess the current literature on treatment outcomes associated with striae.
OBJECTIVE: (1) To assess the efficacy and safety of different treatment options reported for striae and (2) to determine the most efficient treatment options for each subtype of striae.
METHODS: A systematic search was performed on MEDLINE, Embase, and PubMed with no publication date or language restrictions. All articles with original data and treatment outcomes were included.
RESULTS: One hundred fifty-one studies on the treatment of striae met inclusion criteria (83% female, mean age at diagnosis = 30.2), and 4,806 treatment outcomes of striae were described. Energy-based devices were the most reported modality (56%; n = 2,699/4,806), followed by topicals (19%; n = 919/4,806) and combinations (12%; n = 567/4,806). The highest rates of complete response were injection-based devices for striae distensae (7%; n = 12/172), CO 2 lasers for striae alba (4%; n = 12/341), and platelet-rich plasma injections for striae rubra (31%; n = 4/13).
CONCLUSIONS: Treatment options for striae are varied, likely indicating a lack of effective treatments due to the diversity in striae subtypes. Improved outcomes in striae management may be achieved with additional research on factors that predict treatment response.

BACKGROUND: Fractional nonablative lasers (NAFLs) have demonstrated efficacy and safety for treating dermatologic conditions in patients with darker skin phototypes. Nonablative lasers are preferred in darker skin tones due to lower risk of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation.
OBJECTIVE: This review aims to identify the ideal laser options and parameters for treating common dermatologic conditions in patients with skin types IV-VI.
METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed in May 2023. Of 1,065 articles were identified, and 40 articles met the inclusion criteria. The studies were classified based on design, dermatologic condition, and skin phototype of patients, and assigned levels of evidence according to the Modified Criteria of the Oxford Center of Evidence Based Medicine.
RESULTS: Strong level 1 evidence supports the treatment of melasma and atrophic scars using NAFL. Moderate level 2 evidence was found for using NAFL in acne vulgaris, striae, and skin rejuvenation; 45% of the studies examined skin types III-IV, 20% III-V, 7.5% II-IV, 5% II-V, 5% IV alone, and 2.5% I-IV.
CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed to determine the optimal treatment modalities and parameters for skin types V and VI. Appropriate device selection and conservative treatment settings are crucial for optimizing outcomes and minimizing adverse events.

UNASSIGNED: Stretch marks, also known as striae cutis distensae (SD), are visible linear scars that occur in regions of dermal damage due to skin stretching. Stretch marks are not serious health issues, but they may have a major psychological effect on patients. Due to poor skin color improvement or prolonged skin atrophy, there is no standard treatment for SD. Fillers have been studied for their effectiveness in the treatment of SD.
UNASSIGNED: This systematic review aims to determine the efficacy of fillers on SD.
UNASSIGNED: This systematic review is reported following PRISMA guidance. We included all relevant articles published up to November 2022 in the following electronic databases: Science Direct, Midline, the Web of Science, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. The initial search yielded 119, of which seven were included after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria.
UNASSIGNED: The systematic review included a total of 184 female participants who were over the age of 18 years old. Three studies used jet volumetric remodeling (JVR) to inject HA pneumatically. One study injected polycaprolactone filler. One study used calcium hydroxylapatite, micro-needling, and ascorbic acid. MFU-V and CaHA were given in one study. One study delivered MFU-V using micro-focused ultrasound. All studies showed that it reduces SD with only mild, temporary side effects. More favor was given to combining CaHA and MFU-V, which had the fewest side effects compared to other dermal fillers.
UNASSIGNED: As monotherapy or combination therapy, injectable dermal fillers may treat SD with minimal adverse effects. We suggest that more RCTs look into injectable dermal filler to find out what is best for patients with SD and compare it to other treatment methods in terms of results, costs, and side effects to provide satisfactory practice and basic guideline interventions for these cases.

UNASSIGNED: Perineal trauma is a common problem seen after vaginal delivery, which has negative effects on different aspects of women\'s lives. Poor skin elasticity has been introduced as a predictor of perineal trauma, and the appearance of striae gravidarum is associated with poor skin elasticity. This review aimed to determine the association between perineal trauma and striae gravidarum through a systematic review and meta-analysis.
UNASSIGNED: We searched with MeSH terms (\"Perineum\" AND \"Lacerations\" OR \"Rupture\" AND \"Striae Distensae\") and their equivalents in databases PubMed, Scopus, Science direct, Web of Science, ProQuest, Scientific Information Database (SID), Magiran, and Google Scholar search engine without time and language restrictions from the beginning of May until the beginning of September 2020. After reviewing the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and quality evaluation, ten articles were included in the systematic review, and we analyzed data of 6 articles using Stata ver 11.2.
UNASSIGNED: The results indicated that the rate and severity of perineal trauma were directly related to the severity of striae gravidarum (OR = 8.28, 95%CI = 2.49-27.54, I2 = 86.64%).
UNASSIGNED: Based on the research results, the probability of perineal trauma was higher in individuals with moderate to severe striae than those with mild or without striae; therefore, we suggest evaluating striae score in the third trimester of pregnancy as a simple and noninvasive method to predict the risk of perineal trauma during childbirth. For reducing perineal injuries in women at risk, some supportive measures such as episiotomy and perineal massage are recommended.

BACKGROUND: The overall effects of Carboxytherapy, defined as the administration of carbon dioxide, have been studied for many years. It has been suggested that by improving oxygenation, interacting with the tissue perfusion regulators, and disrupting the adipose cell membranes, the method can lead to notable improvements in different esthetic and pathological conditions. Therefore, we aimed to systematically review the available studies evaluating the potential benefits of carboxytherapy in dermatological conditions and how it objectively stands against scientific scrutiny.
METHODS: We searched the PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases, including the studies exploring the method\'s efficacy in managing any dermatological condition.
RESULTS: A total 27 of studies were identified (with a pooled sample of over 700 cases), most of which were clinical trials. Facial wrinkles, periorbital hyperpigmentation, skin laxity deficiency, scars, striae distensae, localized lipolysis and cellulite, alopecia, chronic diabetic wounds, and psoriatic plaques comprised the package of the dermatological conditions that were studied. Except for a few studies, the method mainly demonstrated significant improvements on all of the mentioned conditions. The inter- and post-operational adverse events were mild and transient, including erythema, pain, crepitus, and ecchymoses.
CONCLUSIONS: Carboxytherapy can provide those practicing in the field with sustainably favorable results. However, the numbers of cases on whom the fat-reducing capabilities of the method were studied and experienced varying degrees of recurrence caught our eye. In addition, we observed a notable disparity between the outcome measures utilized in the studies. The modest sample size in each condition also added to the injury, as the conditions on which the method was evaluated are pretty common in the general population. Therefore, for a definite conclusion, more randomized controlled trials with the shortcomings mentioned well addressed need to be conducted.

Striae distensae (SD) or stretch marks are among the most common forms of atrophic scarring and cosmetic problems, especially in women, that negatively affect quality of life. The main causes of SD vary widely, but the most significant ones include obesity, pregnancy, high corticosteroid levels, weight changes, endocrine disorders and genetic predispositions. Various modalities are available for the treatment of SD; however, there is still no gold standard therapy for this condition. Given the many questions concerning the preferred therapeutic modalities for SD or their overall cost-effectiveness, this comprehensive systematic review discusses the most prevalent, recent and promising therapies for SD in three main categories, including single therapy, therapeutic comparisons and combination therapy. A systematic search was carried out in Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar for original articles published on the treatment of SD by 20 May 2019. One hundred articles were reviewed and divided into three categories. In the single therapy category, we found that laser and other light-based devices and topical treatments are the most commonly applied interventions. In the therapeutic comparison category, we found that most of the common therapeutic modalities are equally effective and there is no significant difference between them in side-effects and treatment duration. In the combination therapy category, we found that the combination of two or more modalities is usually better than using each one alone.

A significant population of aesthetic patients are postpartum women motivated to achieve a more youthful abdomen. Although traditionally, abdominoplasty was the treatment of choice, minimally invasive procedures have grown in popularity because of minimal downtime and the favorable side effect profile. so many women share concerns regarding their postpartum abdominal appearance, a limited number of studies focus specifically on postpartum abdominal rejuvenation.
To review pertinent aspects of abdominal anatomy, associated changes with pregnancy, available nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, and to provide our experience to help guide treatment combinations which comprehensively address the concerns of the postpartum patient.
A review of the literature surrounding nonsurgical treatment options for postpartum abdominal lipohypertrophy, muscle changes, tissue laxity, and striae gravidarum, along with the authors\' experience in this area are provided.
This review summarizes available nonsurgical modalities to address postpartum abdominal defects, including procedures that tone muscles, reduce fat, tighten skin, and improve the appearance of striae. Both the published literature and the authors\' experience favor a combination of treatments to address the various lamellae affected by pregnancy. Further clinical trials focusing on the postpartum patient would further help create a standardized approach for postpartum abdominal rejuvenation.

Striae distensae, also known as stretch marks, particularly associated with female sex, pregnancy, obesity, and/or hormonal change, are linear bands of benign dermal lesions. Although not posing any health risk, aesthetically unpleasing stretch marks can cause significant psychological distress among those affected. In abundance of therapeutic approaches, some literature sources proclaim platelet-rich plasma to be a promising treatment modality for striae distensae. We aimed to shed some light on the current literature evidence of platelet-rich plasma for treating stretch marks and performed an English literature analysis with two independent reviewers in accordance with PRISMA guidelines searching the PubMed and Web of Science databases in June 2019. Of the 12 found studies, 6 matched inclusion criteria. With no control groups in two, just two other reports used intraindividual comparisons, and all but one publication performed histopathological assessments. All studies observed clinical and subjective improvements without using validated scores or patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). The main findings were that multiple treatments with platelet-rich plasma demonstrated increased epidermal thickness, rete ridges formation, and collagen/elastin formation, while decreasing the inflammatory cell infiltrate. The current literature evidence supporting the use of platelet-rich plasma for striae distensae is poor. We propose in this review an outline for a study protocol with intraindividual control groups, standardised scores, validated PROMs, and participant incentives to enhance the scientific power in future clinical trials.

The term striae gravidarum (SG) refers to a kind of striae distensae (SD) that develops particularly during pregnancy. According to the level of maturity of the lesions, SG is divided into striae rubra (SR) and striae alba (SA). The pathogenesis remains unclear; recent studies have implicated abnormalities in elastic fibers, collagen fibrils, and other extracellular matrix (ECM) components. Changes in the expression of hormone receptors and hormone levels have also been hypothesized. Considering this new information, we reviewed successful treatments of SG and listed them in two tables. Our review found that topical treatments were relatively weak compared with laser and light treatment, with which the appearance of SR and SA can be significantly improved. Lasers combined with other modalities, such as additional energy devices and topical agents, were also proven effective, but more large-scale trials are necessary.