A New Approach to Hair Loss Treatment: Comparing Two Gels with Electric-Assisted Drug Delivery

INTERVENTION: Intervention1: Iontophoresis delivered dutasteride: 2 per cent dutasteride delivered by iontophoresis machine with scalp roller electrode at constant anodal 5mA, using slow overlapping strokes over the treatment filed, centred over Kangs V point. Sessions last for 10‐15 minutes, once weekly for 12 weeks, 12 sessions in total, with no additional interventions Control Intervention1: Iontophoresis delivered minoxidil: 5 per cent minoxidil delivered by iontophoresis machine with scalp roller electrode at constant anodal 5mA, using slow overlapping strokes over the treatment filed, centred over Kangs V point. Sessions last for 10‐15 minutes, once weekly for 12 weeks, 12 sessions in total, with no additional interventions CONDITION: Health Condition 1: L649‐ Androgenic alopecia, unspecified PRIMARY OUTCOME: Change in trichoscopic hair density from baseline to Week 16 between iontophoresis‐delivered 2 per cent Dutasteride gel and 5 per cent Minoxidil gel.Timepoint: The study will be conducted over 18 months. Each participant will be followed for 20 weeks with baseline assessment at Week 0, weekly iontophoresis treatment sessions from Weeks 1 to 12, primary endpoint assessment at Week 16, and final follow up at Week 20. SECONDARY OUTCOME: change in hair shaft diameter between the 2 groups ; change in vellous hair count between 2 groups ; global clinical improvement scored by blinded evaluator using standardised serail scalp photographsTimepoint: pull test scores at baseline, week 2,4,6,8,10,12,16,20 ; patient satisfaction questionnaire at week 20 INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Males aged 18‐45 years with Hamilton‐Norwood grade 2‐4 AGA and postmenopausal females with Ludwig 1‐2 AGA 2. Diagnosis confirmed on clinical examination and trichoscopy 3. willing to provide written informed consent and comply with the study protocol, including weekly clinical visits for 12 weeks and follow‐up assessments at weeks 16 and 20