Cold Atmospheric Plasma in Dermatology: A Review of Applications in Skin Cancer, Wound Healing, and Microbial Infections

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has recently emerged as an innovative therapeutic option in dermatology. Unlike conventional treatments with frequent side effects, CAP offers a safe and non-invasive alternative for managing skin cancers, wound healing, and microbial infections. This review is based on studies published between 2013 and 2025, identified through comprehensive literature searches in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, with the aim of evaluating the therapeutic potential of CAP. Evidence indicates that CAP selectively induces apoptosis in cancer cells, accelerates epithelialization and collagen synthesis during wound repair, and exhibits strong antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria and pathogenic fungi. However, the lack of standardized treatment protocols, device variability, and limited long-term safety data remain major barriers to its clinical translation. Future mechanistic insights and well-designed clinical trials will be critical to establish CAP as a transformative modality in dermatological therapy.