Core Innovations in Skin Rejuvenation: A Systematic Review of Microcoring Technology.

Summary

This PRISMA-compliant systematic review identified 8 studies (3 preclinical porcine, 5 clinical; 112 patients) showing that microcoring improves facial rhytids and skin quality via tissue removal and dermal remodeling, with trace-to-moderate procedural pain/bleeding and transient postprocedure skin effects. The technology is promising but requires larger cohorts, longer follow-up, and head-to-head comparisons.

Key Findings

• Included 8 studies: 3 preclinical porcine and 5 clinical studies totaling 112 patients
• Demonstrated improvements in facial rhytids, skin tightening, and epidermal/dermal remodeling
• Adverse effects were generally trace-to-moderate pain/bleeding and transient postprocedure skin reactions
• Heterogeneous device parameters (needle size, depth, density) across studies

Clinical Implications

Microcoring appears effective and tolerable for facial rejuvenation, but clinicians should counsel patients about transient effects and the immature evidence base; adoption should be within controlled protocols while awaiting larger controlled trials.

Limitations

• Small clinical sample sizes with heterogeneous protocols and devices
• Limited follow-up durations and absence of head-to-head randomized comparisons

Future Directions

Conduct multicenter randomized controlled trials comparing microcoring with established minimally invasive modalities, standardize parameters, and incorporate long-term histology and patient-reported outcomes.