Plum-blossom needling promoted PpIX fluorescence intensity from 5-aminolevulinic acid in porcine skin model and patients with actnic keratosis

Plum-blossom needling facilitates delivery of topical ALA into the dermis. It may help ALA to diffuse a little more broadly than AFR does in superficial dermis and obtain similar clinical effect with a much lower cost. Plum-blossom needling treatment appears to be a clinically practical and economical means for enhancing transdermal delivery of ALA, a photodynamic therapy drug, and presumably many other topical skin medications.