A Comprehensive Review of Microneedling as a Potential Treatment Option for Androgenetic Alopecia.

BACKGROUND: Microneedling refers to a minimally invasive technique that uses multiple fine needles targeted skin epidermis for mechanical stimulation to obtain therapeutic or cosmetic effects. It is suitable for the treatment of a variety of dermatological conditions, including androgenetic alopecia (AGA). OBJECTIVE: This article aims to make a comprehensive review of the relevant studies on microneedling for the management of AGA. METHODS: Extensive literature search was performed using PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO databases. 4 in vivo studies and 25 clinical trials were included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: The effects of microneedling on AGA was investigated in animal experiments. Several clinical trials, including randomized controlled trials, strengthen the validity of the findings. Microneedling therapy showed some encouraging results with minor complications when used alone or in combination with topical products. CONCLUSIONS: Microneedling appears to be a safe and effective therapeutic option for AGA. Larger and more randomized controlled trials regarding the role of microneedling in AGA are strongly recommended to provide more definitive evidence. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.