ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Dermatology
Survey on the Current Status of Photoaging in Young Asian Women and Intervention Effects of Non-ablative Bipolar Radiofrequency Combined with Ablative Fractional CO₂ Laser: A Retrospective Study
Xie Qiu 1
Wei Zhang 2
Xiaofeng Duan 3
1. Ningbo Medical Centre Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo, China
2. Changshu Shangxi Medical Aesthetics Clinic, Suzhou, China
3. Medical College of Yichun University, Yichun, China
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Abstract
Objective: To investigate the current status of skin photoaging degree in young Asian women, and to explore the intervention effects of non-ablative bipolar radiofrequency (RF) combined with ablative fractional CO₂ laser. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 202 young Asian female patients (aged 18-35 years) with photodamaged skin attending our hospital between March 2023 and March 2024. Patients were divided into two groups based on intervention program: the RF-alone group (n=80, non-ablative bipolar radiofrequency treatment only) and the combined group (n=122, non-ablative bipolar radiofrequency combined with ablative fractional CO₂ laser). Glogau photoaging classification, Fitzpatrick skin typing, clinical efficacy, symptom scores, Global Photoaging Score (GPS), and adverse reactions were compared between groups. Results: Among 202 photodamaged young Asian female patients, Glogau classification showed 144 cases (71.29%) at Grade I and 58 cases (28.71%) at Grade II. Fitzpatrick skin typing revealed predominantly Types I-II (approximately 71%): Type I 76 cases (37.62%), Type II 68 cases (33.66%), Type III 36 cases (17.82%), and Type IV 22 cases (10.89%). The combined group demonstrated a significantly higher total effective rate than the RF-alone group (95.08% vs. 78.75%, χ²=12.773, P<0.001; risk difference: 16.33%, 95% CI: 7.24%-25.42%). Post-treatment symptom scores for pore size, hyperpigmentation, skin texture, and skin color were significantly lower in the combined group (all P<0.05). GPS scores were also significantly lower in the combined group (1.58±0.50 vs. 2.24±0.56, mean difference: -0.66, 95% CI: -0.80 to -0.52, P<0.001). No significant difference was observed in adverse reaction rates between groups (4.10% vs. 3.75%, P>0.05). Conclusion: The degree of skin photoaging in young Asian women is predominantly mild to moderate, with heightened sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation characteristic of Fitzpatrick Types I-II. Non-ablative bipolar radiofrequency combined with ablative fractional CO₂ laser demonstrates superior efficacy in improving photoaging symptoms compared to RF alone, without significantly increasing adverse reactions. This combination approach represents a safe and effective intervention strategy for early photoaging management in young Asian women.
Summary
Keywords
ablative fractional CO2 laser, combination therapy, Fitzpatrick skin type, Non-ablative bipolar radiofrequency, Skin photoaging, Young Asian women
Received
24 September 2025
Accepted
13 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Qiu, Zhang and Duan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Xiaofeng Duan
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