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

Microcoring is a novel, minimally invasive technology for skin rejuvenation that uses hollow needles to remove full-thickness skin cores.

To review the current evidence on the outcomes and safety of microcoring and identify areas for future research.

A PRISMA-compliant systematic review was conducted using the search strategy "micro-coring' OR "microcoring" across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane. Risk of bias and quality assessment were conducted.

Eight studies were included: three preclinical in vivo porcine studies and five clinical studies involving 112 patients. The studies evaluated various microcoring designs, differing in needle size, depth, number, and treatment density. Current evidence indicates that microcoring improves skin quality through mechanisms involving tissue removal, skin tightening, and epidermal and dermal regeneration/remodeling. Clinically, microcoring has been most commonly investigated to treat facial rhytids, with emerging applications for enlarged facial pores and acne scars. Studies report mild pain and trace-to-moderate bleeding during the procedure, and trace-to-moderate postprocedure adverse skin effects.

Microcoring demonstrates promising outcomes in improving skin quality and seems to be well-tolerated and safe. Studies with larger patient cohorts, longer follow-up, comprehensive histological analyses, and comparisons with other minimally invasive techniques are needed to confirm outcomes and refine strategies.