Auricular Acupressure Combined With Adapalene for the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris

January 10, 2026 updated by: Trang Le Thi Ha, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

Efficacy of Auricular Acupressure Combined With 0.1% Adapalene in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris

Acne vulgaris is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition that can significantly affect quality of life. Standard treatments such as topical retinoids are effective but may not fully control symptoms in all patients.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of auricular acupressure combined with topical 0.1% adapalene compared with topical 0.1% adapalene alone in patients with acne vulgaris. Auricular acupressure is a non-invasive traditional medicine technique that may help regulate inflammatory responses and improve skin conditions.

The objective of this study was to determine whether the combination therapy provides greater improvement in acne severity and clinical outcomes than standard topical treatment alone.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial inflammatory skin disease commonly affecting adolescents and young adults. Although topical retinoids such as adapalene are widely used and effective, some patients experience incomplete responses or persistent symptoms.

Auricular acupressure is a traditional therapeutic method that involves stimulating specific points on the ear and has been used to support systemic regulation and inflammatory control. This study was designed to explore the potential added benefit of auricular acupressure when combined with standard topical adapalene therapy.

This interventional study compared two treatment approaches in patients with acne vulgaris: auricular acupressure combined with topical 0.1% adapalene versus topical 0.1% adapalene alone. Participants were assigned to treatment groups according to the study protocol and followed for clinical assessment.

The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the combination therapy in improving acne severity and overall clinical outcomes compared with standard treatment alone.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

64

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • Vietnam
    • Ho Chi Minh City
      • Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
        • Le Van Thinh Hospital

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male or female patients aged 18 to 35 years.
  • Clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate acne vulgaris based on the Global Acne Grading System (GAGS).
  • Willingness to comply with the study protocol and attend all scheduled visits.
  • Provided written informed consent prior to participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Severe acne vulgaris requiring systemic treatment.
  • Use of systemic acne treatments (such as isotretinoin, antibiotics, or hormonal therapy) within the past 4 weeks.
  • Use of topical acne treatments within 2 weeks prior to enrollment.
  • Presence of other dermatological conditions that may interfere with evaluation.
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
  • Known allergy or hypersensitivity to adapalene or components of the intervention.

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: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Auricular Acupressure Plus Adapalene
Participants received auricular acupressure combined with topical 0.1% adapalene.
Other: Auricular Acupressure
Auricular acupressure was performed by applying pressure to specific auricular points according to traditional medicine principles. The intervention was administered as an adjunctive therapy in combination with topical adapalene.
Other Names:
  • Ear Acupressure
Drug: Adapalene 0.1% Gel
Topical adapalene 0.1% was applied to affected areas once daily as standard treatment for acne vulgaris.
Experimental: Active Comparator
Participants received topical 0.1% adapalene alone.
Drug: Adapalene 0.1% Gel
Topical adapalene 0.1% was applied to affected areas once daily as standard treatment for acne vulgaris.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Global Acne Grading System (GAGS) score
Time Frame: From baseline to week 4
The Global Acne Grading System (GAGS) was used to assess acne severity. The total GAGS score was calculated at baseline and at the end of treatment. The primary outcome was the change in GAGS score from baseline to the end of treatment, and comparisons were made between the two study groups.
From baseline to week 4

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesion counts
Time Frame: From baseline to week 4

The number of inflammatory lesions (papules and pustules) and non-inflammatory lesions (open and closed comedones) was recorded at baseline and weekly during treatment.

The secondary outcome was the change in lesion counts from baseline to week 4 between the two treatment groups.
From baseline to week 4
Change in Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score
Time Frame: From baseline to week 4

Quality of life was assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), a validated questionnaire consisting of 10 items.

The secondary outcome was the change in DLQI score from baseline to week 4, comparing the two study groups.
From baseline to week 4
Incidence of treatment-related adverse events
Time Frame: During the 4-week treatment period

Adverse events were monitored throughout the study period, including skin dryness, burning sensation, itching, erythema, and other local or systemic reactions.

The frequency and type of adverse events were recorded and compared between groups.
During the 4-week treatment period

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Bay Thi Nguyen, PhD, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City
  • Study Director: Huy Chung Ly, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

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 (Actual)

November 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

November 10, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 26, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 10, 2026

First Posted (Estimated)

January 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

January 16, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 10, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2464-DHYD-HDDD

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared due to ethical and privacy considerations and because the study was conducted at a single center

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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