Homocysteic Acid Biostimulator for Photoaged Facial Skin

July 22, 2026 updated by: Medical University of Silesia

Instrumental Assessment of a Homocysteic Acid-containing Chemical Skin Biostimulator in the Management of Photoaged Mature Skin

This study evaluated whether a chemical skin biostimulator containing ammonium trichloroacetate, homocysteic acid, phytic acid and citric acid can improve signs of photoaged skin in women with mature skin. Twenty-five women received four treatment sessions two weeks apart, followed by a home-care skincare regimen. Skin firmness, wrinkles, skin texture, hydration, sebum production and, in participants with hyperpigmentation, skin tone uniformity were measured before treatment and at 2 and 12 weeks after the treatment series to determine whether the biostimulator produces lasting improvement in photoaged skin without the downtime associated with traditional chemical peels.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This was a single-arm, prospective, open-label study conducted at a single academic centre to assess the clinical and instrumental effects of a chemical skin biostimulator (PRX plus, WiQO, Trieste, Italy) on facial photoaging. The intervention combines ammonium trichloroacetate (ATCA), a controlled-penetration TCA derivative intended to stimulate dermal fibroblast activity and collagen remodelling, with homocysteic acid (HoA), a novel antioxidant and NMDA-receptor-modulating molecule proposed to influence keratinocyte differentiation, epidermal barrier function and melanocyte activity, together with low concentrations of phytic and citric acids providing mild keratolytic and antioxidant effects. Treatment consisted of a standardised four-session protocol (three product layers per session) applied to defined facial regions of interest, combined with a daytime regenerating cream, a nighttime glycolic-acid-containing fluid, and, in participants with hyperpigmentation, a twice-daily lightening serum. Outcomes were assessed instrumentally using Cutometer (skin viscoelasticity), Antera 3D (wrinkle volume and surface texture), corneometry and sebumetry (hydration and sebum), and grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) analysis of standardised cross-polarised photographs (skin tone homogeneity in the hyperpigmented subgroup), at baseline, 2 weeks after the final session, and 12 weeks after completion of the treatment series, to characterise both the immediate and sustained effects of the intervention.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

25

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

  • Poland
      • Sosnowiec, Poland
        • Department of Practical Cosmetology and Skin Diagnostics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice

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
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Female, Fitzpatrick skin phototype II
  • Age 39-69 years
  • Clinical signs of facial photoaging
  • Some participants had hyperpigmentation (melasma or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • Ongoing hormone therapy
  • Systemic corticosteroid use within 3 months prior to inclusion
  • Topical retinoid use within 1 month, or oral retinoid use within 6 months, prior to treatment
  • Chemical peel procedures within 1 month prior to treatment
  • Use of arbutin and/or hydroquinone within 3 months prior to treatment
  • Laser-based treatments within 3 months prior to treatment
  • Active inflammatory dermatoses
  • Autoimmune diseases
  • Renal impairment

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: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Chemical skin biostimulator (ATCA/HoA) plus home-care regimen
Women with clinical signs of facial photoaging received four sessions, at 14-day intervals, of a topical chemical skin biostimulator containing ammonium trichloroacetate (ATCA), homocysteic acid (HoA), phytic acid and citric acid (PRX plus, WiQO), followed by a standardised home-care regimen consisting of a regenerating cream (morning), a glycolic-acid-containing fluid (evening), and, in participants with hyperpigmentation, a lightening serum applied twice daily to affected areas.
Procedure: Chemical skin biostimulation with ammonium trichloroacetate and homocysteic acid
A four-session chemical skin biostimulation procedure using a topical formulation containing ammonium trichloroacetate (ATCA), homocysteic acid (HoA), phytic acid and citric acid (PRX plus, WiQO, Trieste, Italy). At each session, three product layers were applied to predefined facial areas (forehead, nose, cheeks, chin, upper lip) with massage until absorption, followed by cold-water rinse. Sessions were repeated at 14-day intervals. Participants additionally followed a standardised home-care regimen: a regenerating shea-butter cream each morning, a glycolic-acid-containing fluid each evening, and, for participants with hyperpigmentation, a lightening serum applied twice daily to affected areas, together with daily broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF 50+).
Other Names:
  • PRX plus

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change From Baseline in Skin Viscoelasticity (Cutometer R2, R5, R7)
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Skin viscoelasticity assessed by Cutometer, reported as gross elasticity (R2), net elasticity (R5) and biological elasticity (R7); each is a dimensionless ratio ranging from 0 to 1, with higher values indicating greater skin elasticity.
Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Change From Baseline in Wrinkle Volume (Antera 3D)
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Wrinkle volume at the nasolabial folds, glabellar lines, forehead lines, and crow's feet, measured in mm³ by Antera 3D three-dimensional imaging.
Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Change From Baseline in Skin Texture Score (Antera 3D)
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
A proprietary continuous index from the Antera 3D imaging software (Miravex) reflecting skin surface irregularity, with no manufacturer-published fixed range; observed values in this study ranged from approximately 20 to 55, with higher values indicating rougher skin.
Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Change From Baseline in Skin Roughness (Antera 3D, Ra)
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Arithmetic roughness (Ra), measured in micrometres (µm) by Antera 3D.
Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Change From Baseline in Maximum Wrinkle Height (Antera 3D)
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Maximum surface height of wrinkles, measured in millimetres (mm) by Antera 3D.
Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Change From Baseline in Skin Hydration
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Skin hydration measured by corneometry (arbitrary corneometer units).
Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Change From Baseline in Sebum Secretion
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Sebum secretion measured by sebumetry.
Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Change From Baseline in Skin Tone Contrast (GLCM) in Participants With Hyperpigmentation
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) contrast index in the hyperpigmented subgroup (n=14), assessed from standardised cross-polarised photographs.
Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Change From Baseline in Skin Tone Homogeneity (GLCM) in Participants With Hyperpigmentation
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) homogeneity index (range 0-1; higher values indicate greater uniformity) in the hyperpigmented subgroup (n=14).
Baseline, 2 weeks, and 12 weeks after the treatment series

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Self-Assessed Facial Appearance, Neck Appearance, Wrinkle Depth, and Skin Firmness
Time Frame: Immediately after the fourth treatment session (each session is a single-day clinic visit; the four sessions were administered at 14-day intervals), compared with baseline
Participants' perceived change in facial appearance, neck appearance, wrinkle depth, and skin firmness after the treatment series, each rated on a Likert scale from -5 (marked worsening) to +5 (marked improvement), with 0 indicating no change.
Immediately after the fourth treatment session (each session is a single-day clinic visit; the four sessions were administered at 14-day intervals), compared with baseline
Satisfaction With Wrinkle-Reduction and Firming Effects
Time Frame: Immediately after the fourth treatment session (each session is a single-day clinic visit; the four sessions were administered at 14-day intervals)
Participants' satisfaction with the wrinkle-reduction effect and with the firming effect of the treatment, each rated on a scale from 0 (not satisfied at all) to 10 (extremely satisfied).
Immediately after the fourth treatment session (each session is a single-day clinic visit; the four sessions were administered at 14-day intervals)
Proportion of Participants Satisfied With Facial and Neck Appearance
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the fourth treatment session (each session is a single-day clinic visit; the four sessions were administered at 14-day intervals)
Percentage of participants reporting satisfaction with the appearance of their face and neck, assessed before treatment and after the treatment series.
Baseline and immediately after the fourth treatment session (each session is a single-day clinic visit; the four sessions were administered at 14-day intervals)
Percentage Retention of Maximal Improvement in Wrinkle Volume and Skin Texture at 12 Weeks
Time Frame: 2 weeks and 12 weeks after the treatment series
Persistence of the treatment effect, calculated as the percentage of the maximal improvement (observed at 2 weeks) that was retained at 12 weeks, for wrinkle volume and skin texture/roughness parameters measured by Antera 3D.
2 weeks and 12 weeks after the treatment series

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of Local Skin Reactions and Adverse Events
Time Frame: Throughout the treatment series and follow-up period, up to 12 weeks after the last session
Clinical monitoring for adverse events and local skin reactions associated with the procedure.
Throughout the treatment series and follow-up period, up to 12 weeks after the last session

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Medical University of Silesia

Collaborators

WiQO (Trieste, Italy)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Anna Deda, PhD, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice
  • Study Chair: Dominika Wcisło-Dziadecka, Prof, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice
  • Study Director: Sławomir Wilczyński, Prof, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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)

October 29, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 1, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

April 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 9, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 22, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

July 23, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 23, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 22, 2026

Last Verified

July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • KNW/0022/KB1/27/16

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

The individual participant data underlying the results reported in this article are included in the article and its supplementary materials. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author, beginning from the date of publication, with no specified end date.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Data will be made available to qualified researchers who submit a reasonable request to the corresponding author (Anna Deda, adeda@sum.edu.pl), for the purpose of methodologically sound reanalysis, subject to authors' approval.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL

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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