Characterization of Skin and Facial Fat Pad Thickness Changes Following Microneedling Radiofrequency With and Without Topical Poly-L-Lactic Acid for Facial Rejuvenation

November 22, 2025 updated by: Ying Chen, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether microneedling RF subcutaneous fat pad thickness in the temple, submental, and cheek regions, to determine whether the addition of topical PLLA after microneedling RF alters or preserves subcutaneous fat pad thickness and to assess patient satisfaction and perceived outcomes following microneedling RF ± PLLA treatment.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
30

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Seeking facial rejuvenation for cosmetic concerns
  • Able and willing to provide informed consent
  • Willing to comply with study procedures and follow-up visits

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prior filler injection or energy-based device treatment to the face within the past 6 months
  • Previous facial surgeries
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Active infection, dermatitis, or open lesions in the treatment area
  • History of keloids or abnormal scarring
  • Known allergy to poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA)- Current participation in another clinical trial involving facial aesthetic treatments
  • Presence of pre-cancerous or cancerous lesions in the treatment area
  • Current or planned use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (e.g., Ozempic, semaglutide) during the study period. Subjects on these medications will be excluded due to potential effects on facial fat and overall weight.
  • HIV+ patients
  • Patients on HIV medications- Patients that have eczema and rosacea

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: no treatment
Experimental: microneedling radiofrequency (RF)
Device: microneedling RF treatment
Participants will undergo two microneedling RF treatment sessions, 4-6 weeks apart
Experimental: microneedling RF treatment with topical poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA)
Device: microneedling RF treatment
Participants will undergo two microneedling RF treatment sessions, 4-6 weeks apart
Device: PLLA
Participants will undergo two microneedling RF treatment sessions, 4-6 weeks apart followed by PLLA application after each treatment
Experimental: microneedling RF treatment with placebo
Device: microneedling RF treatment
Participants will undergo two microneedling RF treatment sessions, 4-6 weeks apart
Drug: Sterile Water as control
Participants will undergo two microneedling RF treatment sessions, 4-6 weeks apart followed by sterile water application after each treatment

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Change in subcutaneous fat pad thickness as measured by high-frequency ultrasound imaging
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months
Baseline, 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Difference in fat pad thickness between the RF+PLLA side and RF-only side as assessed by ultrasound imaging
Time Frame: 6 months
6 months
Patient reported overall improvement in appearance as assessed by the Global Aesthetic Scale
Time Frame: 6 months
This is scored on a 5 point scale from 1(much worse) to 5 (much improved) , higher score indicating better outcome
6 months
Change in satisfaction with forehead as assessed by the patient questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months
This is scored from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)
Baseline, 6 months
Change in satisfaction with cheek as assessed by the patient questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months
This is scored from 1 (lowest) to 9 (highest)
Baseline, 6 months
Change in satisfaction with submental as assessed by the patient questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months
This is scored from 1 (lowest) to 9 (highest)
Baseline, 6 months
Change in overall social confidence as assessed by the patient questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months
This is scored from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)
Baseline, 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Ying Chen, MD, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 24, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
November 22, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 22, 2025

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
December 3, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
December 3, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 22, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • HSC-MS-25-0585

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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