Background: Treating facial aging with CO2 lasering or microneedling are cornerstones of facial rejuvenation. Skin rejuvenation utilizing thermal and mechanical treatments have historically been considered too injurious to be combined at a single setting. Autologous nanofat has been shown to deliver wound healing properties. We investigated the safety and efficacy of co-terminus CO2 lasering and microneedling to resolve fine lines and rhytids in facial skin with addition of autologous nanofat to aid in recovery.
Objectives: Combination treatments may result in better results with faster recovery. We investigated the safety and efficacy of co-terminus CO2 lasering and microneedling to resolve fine lines and rhytids in facial skin with addition of autologous nanofat to aid in recovery.
Methods: Twenty-three patients underwent facial treatment with CO2 lasering followed by microneedling and application of autologous nanofat (LaMiNa). One volunteer patient had tissue biopsies of treatment areas to demonstrate histologic tissue level changes.
Results: All patients verbally reported no pain (Numerical Rating System 0-10) following procedure and had rapid recovery within an average of 5 days. Pathology results demonstrated that CO2 and microneedling had persistent epidermal disruption and perineural inflammation at 4 days, while the introduction of autologous nanofat at the time of CO2 and microneedling resulted in full recovery of epidermis and resolution of perineural inflammation.
Conclusions: Triple therapy (LaMiNa) with thermal CO2 remodeling and mechanical microneedling penetration have accelerated and pain-free recovery with the addition of autologous nanofat. Histologic analysis reveals that epidermal recovery is accelerated and perineural inflammation is reduced with the addition of autologous nanofat following skin remodeling from combined CO2 and microneedling.
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Aesthetic Society.