Effectiveness and Safety of Combination Therapy of Microneedling and Minoxidil in Androgenetic Alopecia of Indonesian Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The study, a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted over 12 weeks, involved 36 male participants aged between 26-51 years old with Hamilton-Norwood type III-VI androgenetic alopecia (AGA). The study aimed to determine the effectiveness and safety of the combination therapy of microneedling and 5% minoxidil. The intervention group received a combination therapy of 4-weekly microneedling and 5% minoxidil, while the control group received topical 5% minoxidil alone. The results showed a significant increase in hair density in the intervention group compared to the control group (95.6 vs 52.4 hair/cm², p<0.001), as well as in hair diameter (18 vs 6 μm, p=0.004). Side effects, including itching and transient erythema, were well tolerated. The study concluded that the combination of 4-weekly microneedling and topical 5% minoxidil is effective in increasing both hair density and hair diameter, and is safe to use in AGA patients.