Abstract

Skin aging is associated with collagen degradation, wrinkle formation, enlarged pores, pigmentation changes, and reduced overall skin quality. This pilot comparative clinical study evaluated the short-term effects of HIFU monotherapy, microneedling-assisted EXO-PDRN therapy, and sequential HIFU followed by microneedling-assisted EXO-PDRN using AI-assisted digital skin analysis. Twenty-eight healthy adults aged 45–55 years were allocated into four groups: control, HIFU, MN–EXO-PDRN, and HIFU + MN–EXO-PDRN. Each active monotherapy group received one treatment session, while the combined group received one HIFU session followed seven days later by one microneedling-assisted EXO-PDRN session. Final follow-up assessment was performed at 30–40 days, according to the intervention timeline of each group. The primary descriptive outcome was the median percentage change from baseline. HIFU produced the greatest median reductions in wrinkles (−48.6%) and pores (−49.4%), whereas HIFU + MN–EXO-PDRN demonstrated broader early improvements in sensitivity (−55.9%), wrinkles (−39.3%), pores (−33.3%), UV spots (−19.1%), and global pixel-based skin burden (−29.9%). Control-group increases were interpreted cautiously due to the exploratory design and potential measurement variability. Larger randomized studies with longer follow-up are warranted.

IPC Classification

Keywords