Researchers have created a two-stage acne patch with tiny arrowhead-shaped spikes that deliver healing compounds directly under the skin. Trials showed pimples vanished in seven days, and the technology may expand to treat other conditions.
FULL STORY
This new pimple patch features a specialized array of tiny spikes to help deliver acne-busting compounds under the skin. Credit: Adapted from ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2025, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5c07718
Waking up with a pimple is no longer cause for panic, thanks to pimple patches -- small, sticker-like bandages that cover and help heal the unwanted zit. A team of researchers publishing in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces has designed a two-stage pimple patch set with an array of tiny spikes that grabs onto the pimple and delivers antibacterial or anti-inflammatory compounds. Human clinical trials confirmed that the pimples completely disappeared after seven days of treatment.
Also called acne stickers, pimple patches are made of polymers that absorb excess moisture and oil. Some versions contain medications that reduce inflammation or fight infection. These medicated stickers often use microarrays (rows of teensy spikes) that penetrate the skin's outermost layer and deliver compounds underneath. But microarrays may shift during wear and irritate the skin. So, Shayan Fakhraei Lahiji, Yong-Hee Kim and colleagues wanted to design a medicated acne patch system with a microarray platform that stays put.
To create their patch, the researchers first printed a microarray of arrowhead-shaped spikes using a specialized 3D printer. This unique shape helped the patch lock in place when attached to the skin. The patch's backbone is made of hyaluronic acid -- a gooey polymer that's a common skincare ingredient -- that was mixed with either antibacterial agents (including salicylic acid and Cannabis sativa extract) or anti-inflammatory agents (including niacinamide and chamomile extract).
These patches were clinically tested on 20 participants. On the first day, the participants applied the antibacterial patch, and for the next six days, they applied a new anti-inflammatory patch. The hyaluronic acid-based microarray dissolved into the skin within 30 to 90 minutes, with no pain or irritation. After three days, participants noted an 81% reduction in acne lesions in the treated areas compared to untreated pimples, and after seven days, the treated pimples were gone altogether. Additionally, researchers noted a significant reduction in sebum -- an oily substance that causes acne. Around 95% of participants report that they were satisfied with the results of the treatment.
The researchers plan to make their new patch available for purchase in fall 2025, in both South Korea and the United States. In addition, the technology could be reformulated to deliver other therapies, beyond just acne-fighting compounds.
"Our work highlights the potential of microarray patches as a platform for applications beyond acne treatment, ranging from skin disorders to obesity therapies and vaccine delivery," explains Kim.
The authors acknowledge funding from the Technology Development Program of the Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups; the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute; and the Korean Ministry of Health & Welfare.
The authors are employees of Cursus Bio Inc., a company focusing on microarray-based technologies.
Story Source:
Materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Jisook Park, Jaehyun Kim, Shayan Fakhraei Lahiji, Yong-Hee Kim. Dual-Phase Antibacterial and Anti-inflammatory Self-Locking Microarray Patches for the Effective Treatment of Acne Vulgaris. ACS Applied Materials, 2025; 17 (32): 45438 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5c07718[1]
Cite This Page:
American Chemical Society. "Clear skin in a week with this breakthrough acne patch." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 September 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250919085250.htm>.
American Chemical Society. (2025, September 20). Clear skin in a week with this breakthrough acne patch. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 20, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250919085250.htm
American Chemical Society. "Clear skin in a week with this breakthrough acne patch." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250919085250.htm (accessed September 20, 2025).
Sep. 4, 2024 Research shows that super spikes, scientifically described as advanced footwear technology (AFT) spikes, can give runners about a 2% edge in middle-distance track races, like the 800- and ...
Oct. 31, 2023 By detecting cardiovascular ailments and helping assess overall cardiac health, wearable electrocardiograms save lives, not to mention exorbitant hospital care costs. Researchers now present a novel ...
Oct. 19, 2023 A team of researchers has engineered an innovative magnetic wound-healing gel that promises to heal diabetic wounds three times faster, reduce the rates of recurrence, and in turn, lower the ...
June 26, 2023 Scientists have invented a paper-like, battery-free, AI-enabled sensor patch -- PETAL -- for convenient and effective monitoring of wound recovery. This novel technology provides early warning of ...
Oct. 27, 2021 Researchers reveal correlation between ribotype (RT) strains of Cutibacterium acnes, which are found in human skin, and the lifespan of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Strains RT4 and 8, which ...
May 10, 2021 MRSA skin infections are often treated with intravenous injection of antibiotics, which can cause significant side effects and promote the development of resistant bacterial strains. To solve these ...
Researchers have created a two-stage acne patch with tiny arrowhead-shaped spikes that deliver healing compounds directly under the skin. Trials showed pimples vanished in seven days, and the technology may expand to treat other conditions.
FULL STORY
This new pimple patch features a specialized array of tiny spikes to help deliver acne-busting compounds under the skin. Credit: Adapted from ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2025, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5c07718
Waking up with a pimple is no longer cause for panic, thanks to pimple patches -- small, sticker-like bandages that cover and help heal the unwanted zit. A team of researchers publishing in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces has designed a two-stage pimple patch set with an array of tiny spikes that grabs onto the pimple and delivers antibacterial or anti-inflammatory compounds. Human clinical trials confirmed that the pimples completely disappeared after seven days of treatment.
Also called acne stickers, pimple patches are made of polymers that absorb excess moisture and oil. Some versions contain medications that reduce inflammation or fight infection. These medicated stickers often use microarrays (rows of teensy spikes) that penetrate the skin's outermost layer and deliver compounds underneath. But microarrays may shift during wear and irritate the skin. So, Shayan Fakhraei Lahiji, Yong-Hee Kim and colleagues wanted to design a medicated acne patch system with a microarray platform that stays put.
To create their patch, the researchers first printed a microarray of arrowhead-shaped spikes using a specialized 3D printer. This unique shape helped the patch lock in place when attached to the skin. The patch's backbone is made of hyaluronic acid -- a gooey polymer that's a common skincare ingredient -- that was mixed with either antibacterial agents (including salicylic acid and Cannabis sativa extract) or anti-inflammatory agents (including niacinamide and chamomile extract).
These patches were clinically tested on 20 participants. On the first day, the participants applied the antibacterial patch, and for the next six days, they applied a new anti-inflammatory patch. The hyaluronic acid-based microarray dissolved into the skin within 30 to 90 minutes, with no pain or irritation. After three days, participants noted an 81% reduction in acne lesions in the treated areas compared to untreated pimples, and after seven days, the treated pimples were gone altogether. Additionally, researchers noted a significant reduction in sebum -- an oily substance that causes acne. Around 95% of participants report that they were satisfied with the results of the treatment.
The researchers plan to make their new patch available for purchase in fall 2025, in both South Korea and the United States. In addition, the technology could be reformulated to deliver other therapies, beyond just acne-fighting compounds.
"Our work highlights the potential of microarray patches as a platform for applications beyond acne treatment, ranging from skin disorders to obesity therapies and vaccine delivery," explains Kim.
The authors acknowledge funding from the Technology Development Program of the Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups; the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute; and the Korean Ministry of Health & Welfare.
The authors are employees of Cursus Bio Inc., a company focusing on microarray-based technologies.
Story Source:
Materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Jisook Park, Jaehyun Kim, Shayan Fakhraei Lahiji, Yong-Hee Kim. Dual-Phase Antibacterial and Anti-inflammatory Self-Locking Microarray Patches for the Effective Treatment of Acne Vulgaris. ACS Applied Materials, 2025; 17 (32): 45438 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5c07718[1]
Cite This Page:
American Chemical Society. "Clear skin in a week with this breakthrough acne patch." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 September 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250919085250.htm>.
American Chemical Society. (2025, September 20). Clear skin in a week with this breakthrough acne patch. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 20, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250919085250.htm
American Chemical Society. "Clear skin in a week with this breakthrough acne patch." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250919085250.htm (accessed September 20, 2025).
Sep. 4, 2024 Research shows that super spikes, scientifically described as advanced footwear technology (AFT) spikes, can give runners about a 2% edge in middle-distance track races, like the 800- and ...
Oct. 31, 2023 By detecting cardiovascular ailments and helping assess overall cardiac health, wearable electrocardiograms save lives, not to mention exorbitant hospital care costs. Researchers now present a novel ...
Oct. 19, 2023 A team of researchers has engineered an innovative magnetic wound-healing gel that promises to heal diabetic wounds three times faster, reduce the rates of recurrence, and in turn, lower the ...
June 26, 2023 Scientists have invented a paper-like, battery-free, AI-enabled sensor patch -- PETAL -- for convenient and effective monitoring of wound recovery. This novel technology provides early warning of ...
Oct. 27, 2021 Researchers reveal correlation between ribotype (RT) strains of Cutibacterium acnes, which are found in human skin, and the lifespan of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Strains RT4 and 8, which ...
May 10, 2021 MRSA skin infections are often treated with intravenous injection of antibiotics, which can cause significant side effects and promote the development of resistant bacterial strains. To solve these ...
