Does Microneedling RF help active acne and does it reduce sebum production?

Microneedling with RF is a wonderful treatment for reducing the appearance of acne scarring and smoothing out texture, as mentioned earlier, combination with a therapy such as IPL to decrease pigment would be preferred and several treatments may be required to get final result.  That being said 80% of outcome is provider dependent not device so make sure you are consulting with an experienced and confident provider to guide you in your comprehensive treatment.  kh

Thanks for your question. Active acne benefits from RF needling, as it kills the P-bacteria. Unline microneedling, RF needling does not spread acne causing bacteria around the face. It will reduce sebum production but not permanently. PIH is better targeted by lasers such as IPL, Pico, or Erbium. BestAnil Shah MD

Your assessment is correct. Radiofrequency micro-needling will improve both acne scarring and active acne. Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation and post inflammatory erythema will not change. There may be a reduction in sebum formation, but this is only temporary.Jeff Rapaport MD FAADRealself Verified All-star

Yes RF can target the Seb glands- oil glands. Agnes insulated RF comes to mind. Other options include LLEDs PDT etc..etc... Deep RF in appropriate DP settings can destroy the sebaceous glands. You will require 3-6 sessions of maximal effect. Combine adapelene given the most recent publications of acne and acne scars. The ideal treatment for acne scars will depend on the morphology of individual scars. For example, rolling scars are best treated with subcision, atrophic scars with fillers, pick-ice pick scars with TCA or Phenol CROSS/ Paint, box-scar scars with fractional laser/ modified TCA/ phenol chemical peels, hypertrophic scars with steroid injections/modulated fractional delivery. 
Energy devices such as lasers, microneedling RF and bipolar radiofrequency are other methods to treat ‘general’ scar types. For example devices can improve rolling-tethered scars as well as ‘deep - superficial scars’ such as broad ice-pick scars and broad box-car scars. Devices should be viewed as a method of scar revision, and rarely as a sole modality. Exceptions do apply- for example in patients with predominantly shallow/broad box-car scars and or superficial pits. 
Another factor that will determine the ideal combination of treatment is the skin type of patients. Skin typing used to determine the ‘skin colour’ of patients. Darker skin patients will require modifications to treatment parameters. This includes a lower percentage of chemical peels, conservative protocols for lasers and energy devices and in some cases pre and post treatment of skin to reduce but not eliminate the chances of PIH- post inflammatory hyperpigmentation- skin darkening. 
The very first step in scar revision is to accurately determine the subset of scars you have. This is best done with a real time examination. Factors such as animation (rather than static photographs) are frequently used to determine the amount of ‘deep scarring’ /anchored scars or tethering. Palpation or touch is also extremely important to determine the presence of dermal and subdermal fibrosis. Scars that have altered ‘texture’ either hard or soft (atrophy) are more challenging to treat compared to scars with ‘normal’ texture. In some cases the use of angled lighting can be employed to accurately map scar types. 
My answers given in the context of this question is a general plan given the limited information. For an accurate guide, one has to take into consideration factors such as animation, touch, feel, real time examination and most importantly subjective measures, namely patient expectations. A real time consult with a procedural dermatologist or plastic surgeon is required for the best accuracy- diagnosis. 
All the best, Dr Davin S. Lim, Dermatologist. Brisbane. Australia.