When performing iontophoresis, what electrical principle is used to drive water-soluble, ionized substances through the skin's barrier?

Isabella Felder

“Iontophoresis utilizes the principle of electromotive force, specifically the rule that like charges repel and opposite charges attract. By placing a substance in an electrical field with the same electrical charge as the substances ionized molecules, the device pushes those molecules away from the electrode and through the skin barrier. Think of this like using the matching ends of two magnets to push them apart; the electrical current acts as a driving force that physically repels the ionized medication into the tissue. The skin acts as a barrier, but because the medication is ionized-meaning it carries a net positive or negative electrical charge-it can be systematically moved into the body using a direct current that maintains this repulsive force.”

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