Iontophoresis pushes water-soluble compounds into which layer of the skin?

Iontophoresis pushes water-soluble compounds into which layer of the skin?

• A. Epidermis
• B. Dermis
• C. Hypodermis
• D. Stratum corneum

Answer: (A)

Iontophoresis uses an electrical current to move charged, water-soluble compounds through the skin by electromigration and enhanced hydration pathways. The barrier to penetration is the outermost skin layer, but the delivery goal is to reach the living tissue just beneath that barrier—the epidermis. So, the compounds are pushed into the epidermis rather than stopping at the outermost barrier or traveling all the way to the deeper dermis or hypodermis.

Iontophoresis uses an electrical current to move charged, water-soluble compounds through the skin by electromigration and enhanced hydration pathways. The barrier to penetration is the outermost skin layer, but the delivery goal is to reach the living tissue just beneath that barrier—the epidermis. So, the compounds are pushed into the epidermis rather than stopping at the outermost barrier or traveling all the way to the deeper dermis or hypodermis.