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Effect of Single Facial Acupuncture on Dermal Structure and Appearance Satisfaction (FRA)

17 czerwca 2026 zaktualizowane przez: Jen-Tang Sun, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital

Effects of Single-Session Facial Acupuncture on Dermal Structure and Aesthetic Satisfaction: A Randomized Controlled Trial Combining High-Frequency Ultrasound and Patient-Reported Outcomes

This study aims to investigate the effects of a single session of facial rejuvenation acupuncture on skin structure and personal satisfaction with facial appearance. As facial aging involves complex changes in muscles, skin, and soft tissues, facial acupuncture is considered a potential minimally invasive treatment to help restore balance and promote tissue repair.

Researchers will enroll 60 healthy adults aged 30 to 60 who are concerned about facial aging. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an immediate intervention group or a waitlist control group. The intervention group will receive one session of facial acupuncture at the start of the study. The control group will continue their normal daily skincare routine for 6 weeks, after which they will receive the same single acupuncture treatment.

All participants will be monitored weekly for 6 weeks. The research team will use non-invasive tools, including high-frequency skin ultrasound, 3D facial scanning, and a digital complexion analysis system, to objectively measure changes in skin thickness, facial volume, and wrinkles. Participants will also complete questionnaires at various time points to share their satisfaction with their appearance, self-confidence, and quality of life.

Przegląd badań

Status

Rekrutacyjny

Warunki

Interwencja / Leczenie

Szczegółowy opis

Facial aging is a complex, multi-layered process involving cranial bone resorption, fat pad redistribution, and biomechanical imbalances within the superficial musculo-aponeurotic system (SMAS) and facial expression muscles. While conventional aesthetic treatments like botulinum toxin, dermal fillers, and surgical facelifts are effective, they are associated with potential limitations such as expression stiffness, vascular risks, high costs, and extended recovery times. Consequently, Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture (FRA) has emerged as a minimally invasive alternative designed to promote endogenous tissue repair with minimal downtime.

The potential physiological mechanisms of FRA include: regulating myofascial tension by targeting specific expression muscles to restore biomechanical balance; initiating a wound-healing cascade via micro-trauma to stimulate collagen synthesis; and enhancing local microcirculation through axon reflexes. Despite its growing clinical popularity, most existing research focuses on the cumulative effects of 5 to 10 sessions, leaving a significant gap in understanding the temporal dynamics of a single intervention. It remains unclear whether a single FRA session produces only a short-term "Cinderella effect" or initiates a sustained tissue remodeling process. Furthermore, previous studies have heavily relied on subjective assessments rather than objective quantification.

To address these gaps, this single-blind, randomized, waitlist-controlled trial aims to systematically evaluate the short-to-mid-term biological effects of a single FRA session over a 6-week period. Sixty eligible adults (aged 30-60) will be randomly allocated via sealed envelopes to an intervention group or a waitlist control group. The intervention group receives a single comprehensive FRA treatment at Week 0, targeting 20 specific anatomical structures across the neck, jaw, perioral, cheek, periorbital, and fascial regions to release ligament adhesions and adjust muscle tension. The control group maintains routine non-invasive skincare for 6 weeks before receiving a compensatory FRA treatment. To establish robust evidence, objective multi-modal imaging and assessments will be conducted weekly for all participants.

These tools include:

1.High-Frequency Skin Ultrasound (DUB Cutis): To measure changes in dermal thickness and assess collagen density via echogenicity.

2.3D Facial Scanning (Morpheus 3D): To quantify mid-to-lower face soft tissue volume changes and evaluate lifting effects via curved length measurements. 3.Digital Skin Analysis (VISIA): To objectively assess wrinkle depth, quantity, and overall skin surface texture.

In parallel with objective imaging, Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) will track subjective changes in appearance satisfaction, self-confidence, and quality of life. Data collected across the 7 time points (Baseline to Week 6) will be analyzed using Linear Mixed Models (LMM) to evaluate the dynamic trends and interactions of the treatment effects over time.

Typ studiów

Interwencyjne

Zapisy (Szacowany)

60

Faza

  • Nie dotyczy

Kontakty i lokalizacje

Ta sekcja zawiera dane kontaktowe osób prowadzących badanie oraz informacje o tym, gdzie badanie jest przeprowadzane.

Kontakt w sprawie studiów

Lokalizacje studiów

  • Tajwan
      • Taipei, Tajwan, 114
        • Rekrutacyjny
        • Neihu Lixin TCM Clinic
        • Kontakt:

Kryteria uczestnictwa

Badacze szukają osób, które pasują do określonego opisu, zwanego kryteriami kwalifikacyjnymi. Niektóre przykłady tych kryteriów to ogólny stan zdrowia danej osoby lub wcześniejsze leczenie.

Kryteria kwalifikacji

Wiek uprawniający do nauki

  • Dorosły

Akceptuje zdrowych ochotników

Tak

Opis

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged 30 to 60 years old. Individuals concerned about facial aging issues.
  • Individuals without severe chronic diseases.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant women.
  • Individuals with coagulation disorders.
  • Individuals with a keloid constitution or tendency for abnormal scarring.
  • Individuals with acute or chronic facial hemiplegia/paralysis of any cause.
  • Individuals who have undergone facial cosmetic surgery or cosmetic injections within the past 6 months.
  • Individuals currently taking anticoagulant medications.
  • Individuals with active skin infections.
  • Individuals with a history of severe allergies.
  • Individuals otherwise deemed unsuitable for facial acupuncture by the investigators.

Plan studiów

Ta sekcja zawiera szczegółowe informacje na temat planu badania, w tym sposób zaprojektowania badania i jego pomiary.

Jak projektuje się badanie?

Szczegóły projektu

  • Główny cel: Leczenie
  • Przydział: Randomizowane
  • Model interwencyjny: Przydział równoległy
  • Maskowanie: Pojedynczy

Broń i interwencje

Grupa uczestników / Arm
Interwencja / Leczenie
Eksperymentalny: Single FRA
Participants randomized to this arm will receive a single, comprehensive Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture (FRA) session at Week 0. The treatment targets 20 key anatomical structures, including facial and neck muscles, as well as specific ligaments, to balance myofascial tension and stimulate tissue repair. Following the single intervention, participants will use only routine non-invasive skincare (moisturizer/lotion) and undergo weekly assessments using ultrasound, 3D scanning, and digital complexion analysis for 6 weeks.
Procedura: Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture (FRA)
This intervention consists of a single, comprehensive session of Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture (FRA). The procedure targets 20 specific anatomical structures across the neck, jaw, perioral, cheek, periorbital, and upper face regions. The acupuncturist uses specific needling techniques (e.g., flat, oblique, and deep insertions) to balance myofascial tension-relaxing hypertonic muscles (such as the corrugator and masseter) and stimulating hypotonic muscles (such as the zygomaticus major/minor). Additionally, ligament release techniques are applied to vertical and horizontal retaining ligaments to stimulate tissue remodeling. The intervention is administered once at Week 0 for the experimental arm, and once at Week 6 for the waitlist control arm.
Inne nazwy:
  • Single-Session Facial Acupuncture
  • Cosmetic Acupuncture
  • Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture
  • FRA
Brak interwencji: Waitlist Control Group
Participants randomized to this arm will not receive any active treatment during the primary 6-week study period. They are instructed to maintain their routine non-invasive daily skincare (using only basic moisturizer or lotion). During these 6 weeks, they will undergo the same weekly assessments as the experimental group. After the Week 6 assessments are completed, participants in this waitlist group will receive a compensatory single session of the same Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture (FRA) provided to the experimental arm.

Co mierzy badanie?

Podstawowe miary wyniku

Miara wyniku
Opis środka
Ramy czasowe
Change in Dermal Thickness
Ramy czasowe: Baseline (Week 0) to Week 6
Measured as the change in thickness (in µm) from the sub-epidermis to the upper margin of the subcutaneous fat layer using high-frequency skin ultrasound (DUB Cutis). This objective metric reflects the microstructural changes and extracellular matrix remodeling stimulated by the intervention.
Baseline (Week 0) to Week 6

Miary wyników drugorzędnych

Miara wyniku
Opis środka
Ramy czasowe
Change in Facial Volume and Contour
Ramy czasowe: Baseline (Week 0) to Week 6
Measured as the difference in mid-to-lower face soft tissue volume (in cc) and changes in lifting curved length (e.g., from tragus to the corner of the mouth) using 3D facial scanning (Morpheus 3D Scanner).
Baseline (Week 0) to Week 6
Change in Skin Density
Ramy czasowe: Baseline (Week 0) to Week 6
Assessed by analyzing the change in dermal echogenicity using a high-frequency skin ultrasound (DUB Cutis). Echogenicity is measured quantitatively as the pixel density, reported in percentage (%)
Baseline (Week 0) to Week 6
Change in Wrinkle Depth
Ramy czasowe: Baseline (Week 0) to Week 6
Quantified measurement of wrinkle depth using a digital complexion analysis system (VISIA). Reported in millimeters (mm).
Baseline (Week 0) to Week 6
Change in Wrinkle Quantity
Ramy czasowe: Baseline (Week 0) to Week 6
Quantified measurement of the absolute number of wrinkles using a digital complexion analysis system (VISIA). Reported as a count.
Baseline (Week 0) to Week 6
Change in Patient-Reported Appearance Satisfaction
Ramy czasowe: Assessed using the FACE-Q Satisfaction with Appearance Scale. Higher scores indicate a better outcome (greater satisfaction with appearance).
Assessed using standardized questionnaires to evaluate the patient's subjective changes in appearance satisfaction, self-confidence, and quality of life/social function scores.
Assessed using the FACE-Q Satisfaction with Appearance Scale. Higher scores indicate a better outcome (greater satisfaction with appearance).
Change in Skin Surface Smoothness
Ramy czasowe: Baseline (Week 0) to Week 6
Quantified measurement of overall skin surface smoothness using a digital complexion analysis system (VISIA). Reported in Absolute Score where a higher value indicates smoother skin.
Baseline (Week 0) to Week 6
Change in Quality of Life
Ramy czasowe: Baseline (Week 0) to Week 6
Description: Assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index. Higher scores indicate a worse outcome (greater negative impact on quality of life).
Baseline (Week 0) to Week 6

Współpracownicy i badacze

Tutaj znajdziesz osoby i organizacje zaangażowane w to badanie.

Sponsor

Far Eastern Memorial Hospital

Współpracownicy

Neihu Lixin TCM Clinic

Publikacje i pomocne linki

Osoba odpowiedzialna za wprowadzenie informacji o badaniu dobrowolnie udostępnia te publikacje. Mogą one dotyczyć wszystkiego, co jest związane z badaniem.

Publikacje ogólne

Daty zapisu na studia

Daty te śledzą postęp w przesyłaniu rekordów badań i podsumowań wyników do ClinicalTrials.gov. Zapisy badań i zgłoszone wyniki są przeglądane przez National Library of Medicine (NLM), aby upewnić się, że spełniają określone standardy kontroli jakości, zanim zostaną opublikowane na publicznej stronie internetowej.

Główne daty studiów

Rozpoczęcie studiów (Rzeczywisty)

11 czerwca 2026

Zakończenie podstawowe (Szacowany)

31 sierpnia 2027

Ukończenie studiów (Szacowany)

31 sierpnia 2027

Daty rejestracji na studia

Pierwszy przesłany

11 czerwca 2026

Pierwszy przesłany, który spełnia kryteria kontroli jakości

17 czerwca 2026

Pierwszy wysłany (Rzeczywisty)

24 czerwca 2026

Aktualizacje rekordów badań

Ostatnia wysłana aktualizacja (Rzeczywisty)

24 czerwca 2026

Ostatnia przesłana aktualizacja, która spełniała kryteria kontroli jakości

17 czerwca 2026

Ostatnia weryfikacja

1 czerwca 2026

Więcej informacji

Terminy związane z tym badaniem

Słowa kluczowe

Dodatkowe istotne warunki MeSH

Inne numery identyfikacyjne badania

  • 115070-F

Plan dla danych uczestnika indywidualnego (IPD)

Planujesz udostępniać dane poszczególnych uczestników (IPD)?

NIE

Opis planu IPD

We do not plan to share Individual Participant Data (IPD) with other researchers. According to the approved Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocol and informed consent form, all participant data will be strictly de-identified and managed under the principle of minimum necessary use. The data will be securely stored on encrypted drives accessible only to authorized research team members. To protect participant privacy and strictly comply with data protection regulations, individual-level data will not be made publicly available, nor will it be shared for secondary research purposes outside the scope of this specific trial.

Informacje o lekach i urządzeniach, dokumenty badawcze

Bada produkt leczniczy regulowany przez amerykańską FDA

Nie

Bada produkt urządzenia regulowany przez amerykańską FDA

Nie

Te informacje zostały pobrane bezpośrednio ze strony internetowej clinicaltrials.gov bez żadnych zmian. Jeśli chcesz zmienić, usunąć lub zaktualizować dane swojego badania, skontaktuj się z register@clinicaltrials.gov. Gdy tylko zmiana zostanie wprowadzona na stronie clinicaltrials.gov, zostanie ona automatycznie zaktualizowana również na naszej stronie internetowej .

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