Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a combined treatment for moderate and severe androgenetic alopecia (AGA) involving the use of electric microneedles. METHODS: A total of 83 patients with moderate to severe AGA in the Department of Dermatology at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital were included in this study. The male patients were administered finasteride orally and 5% minoxidil for external use, while the female patients were given spironolactone orally or Diane-35 and 2% minoxidil for external use. All the patients were then treated via electric microneedle therapy alongside the YUFA (®)medical care package (Foshan, China) once a week for 1-28 weeks. The seven-point method and root hair measurement using a hair mirror were adopted to evaluate the efficacy and any adverse reactions of the combined treatment. RESULTS: Eleven patients were treated for 1-3 weeks, 60 for 4-12 weeks, and 12 for more than 12 weeks. The efficacy evaluation using the seven-point method for 12 weeks of treatment indicated a 100% response rate, specifically, a 42.1% mild improvement rate, a 38.6% moderate improvement rate, and a 19.3% marked improvement rate. Besides, the efficacy assessment was also completed with root hair count method and the number of hair roots measured at fixed points were 148.67±11.15, 158.13±5.11 and 169.75±2.06 after treatment time at 16, 20 and 24 weeks, respectively. Of note, a statistical difference in the number of hair roots could be observed during the period of week 20-week 24 (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The combined treatment of moderate to severe AGA using the electric microneedle technique has a clear effect and can effectively increase the hair density. With a simple operation and mild side effects, the technique has wide application prospects.