Auricular Acupressure Combined With Adapalene for the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris

NCT ID: NCT07348978

Last Updated: 2026-01-16

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 64 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-11-01
• Study Completion Date: 2025-11-10

Brief Summary

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.

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.

Conditions

Acne Vulgaris

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Auricular Acupressure Plus Adapalene

Participants received auricular acupressure combined with topical 0.1% adapalene.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Auricular Acupressure

Intervention Type: OTHER

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.

Adapalene 0.1% Gel

Intervention Type: DRUG

Topical adapalene 0.1% was applied to affected areas once daily as standard treatment for acne vulgaris.

Active Comparator

Participants received topical 0.1% adapalene alone.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Adapalene 0.1% Gel

Intervention Type: DRUG

Topical adapalene 0.1% was applied to affected areas once daily as standard treatment for acne vulgaris.

Interventions

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.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Adapalene 0.1% Gel

Topical adapalene 0.1% was applied to affected areas once daily as standard treatment for acne vulgaris.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Other Intervention Names

Ear Acupressure

Eligibility Criteria

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.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 35 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Trang Le Thi Ha

Medical Doctor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Bay Thi Nguyen, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

Huy Chung Ly

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

Locations

Le Van Thinh Hospital

Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Countries

Vietnam

Other Identifiers

2464-DHYD-HDDD

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id