Drug Delivery to Hair Follicles

March 2013 in “ Expert opinion on drug delivery ”

Alexa Patzelt, Juergen Lademann

hair follicles drug delivery nanoparticles liposomes microneedles localized treatment drug absorption systemic side effects

Studysummary This review summarizes drug delivery strategies to hair follicles, highlighting physicochemical factors affecting penetration and the use of stimuli-responsive particulate carriers, but reports no new clinical findings. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

The document discussed the potential of hair follicles as a target for drug delivery, highlighting their unique anatomical and physiological properties that make them suitable for localized treatment. The authors reviewed various methods and technologies for delivering drugs directly to hair follicles, including nanoparticles, liposomes, and microneedles. They emphasized the advantages of targeting hair follicles, such as improved drug absorption and reduced systemic side effects. The paper concluded that while significant progress had been made, further research was needed to optimize these delivery systems and fully understand their long-term effects and safety.

View this study on tandfonline.com →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

21 / 21 results

research Triggering of Drug Release of Particles in Hair Follicles

39 citations , April 2012 in “Journal of controlled release”

This study found that using a protease-triggered release system enabled effective delivery of a model drug deep within porcine hair follicles, suggesting a new approach for treating skin conditions.

research Human Hair Follicle: Reservoir Function and Selective Targeting

97 citations , September 2011 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

The human hair follicle can store topical compounds and be targeted for drug delivery with minimal side effects.

research Basal Cell Carcinomas in Mice Arise from Hair Follicle Stem Cells and Multiple Epithelial Progenitor Populations

178 citations , April 2011 in “Journal of Clinical Investigation”

This study found that the phenotype of Hedgehog/Gli-driven skin tumors in mice depends on the cell of origin, tissue context, and level of oncogenic signaling.

research Selective Follicular Targeting by Modification of the Particle Sizes

263 citations , February 2011 in “Journal of Controlled Release”

This study found that medium-sized particles (643 and 646 nm) penetrated deeper into porcine hair follicles in vitro than smaller or larger particles, suggesting size-selective targeting within follicular sites.

research Methods for Quantifying Intrafollicular Drug Delivery: A Critical Appraisal

34 citations , July 2010 in “Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery”

This review highlights the need for methodologies to understand and quantify drug penetration into hair follicles as significant drug pathways, noting this area lacks comprehensive articles and reports no new results.

research Follicular and Percutaneous Penetration Pathways of Topically Applied Minoxidil Foam

74 citations , June 2010 in “European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics”

This study found that hair follicles are a significant and efficient pathway for the absorption of topical minoxidil foam in humans, with faster blood detection when follicles are open.

research Prevention of Follicular Penetration: Barrier-Enhancing Formulations Against the Penetration of Pollen Allergens into Hair Follicles

21 citations , January 2010 in “Skin pharmacology and physiology”

In this study, researchers found that barrier-enhancing formulations significantly reduced the penetration of proteins into hair follicles in porcine skin models, with effectiveness varying by formulation.

research Follicular Transport Route: Research Progress and Future Perspectives

211 citations , February 2009 in “European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics”

This review summarizes recent advancements in follicular targeting for drug delivery via hair follicles and calls for pilot studies in humans to explore potential clinical applications.

research Determination of the Cuticle Thickness of Human and Porcine Hairs and Their Potential Influence on the Penetration of Nanoparticles into the Hair Follicles

95 citations , January 2009 in “Journal of Biomedical Optics”

This study observed that particles sized 300-600 nm penetrate hair follicles more efficiently, likely due to alignment with the thickness of the human hair cuticula.

research The Role of Hair Follicles in the Percutaneous Absorption of Caffeine

182 citations , December 2007 in “BJCP. British journal of clinical pharmacology/British journal of clinical pharmacology”

This study demonstrated that hair follicles significantly expedite the absorption of caffeine through the skin compared to interfollicular pathways.

research Evaluation of the Permeability of Hair Growing Ingredient Encapsulated PLGA Nanospheres to Hair Follicles and Their Hair Growing Effects

71 citations , June 2007 in “Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters”

This study found that PLGA nanospheres improved scalp-pore permeability and enhanced hair growth activities in mice, suggesting their potential as drug delivery carriers for hair growth ingredients.

research Liposomes And Niosomes As Potential Carriers For Dermal Delivery Of Minoxidil

85 citations , January 2007 in “Journal of Drug Targeting”

This study found that liposomal formulations improved minoxidil delivery to skin layers compared to niosomes and a control solution, suggesting enhanced potential for topical hair loss treatment.

research Development of Liposomal Systems of Finasteride for Topical Applications: Design, Characterization, and In Vitro Evaluation

56 citations , January 2007 in “Pharmaceutical Development and Technology”

This study found that finasteride-loaded liposomal formulations achieved significantly higher skin permeation and deposition compared to conventional gels and solutions, suggesting potential for effective topical application.

research Biology of the Hair Follicle: The Basics

224 citations , March 2006 in “Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery”

This article discusses the hair follicle's regenerative cycles and the molecular mechanisms influencing them, emphasizing the need for therapeutic targeting of the "hair cycle clock" to manage hair growth disorders, without reporting new research findings.

research Transfollicular Drug Delivery: Is It a Reality?

141 citations , November 2005 in “International journal of pharmaceutics”

This review examines the role of hair follicles and sebaceous glands in percutaneous drug delivery but does not report new clinical results; it calls for further exploration of follicle-targeting therapies.

research Differential Stripping: Determination of the Amount of Topically Applied Substances Penetrated into the Hair Follicles

162 citations , August 2005 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

This study introduces a novel non-invasive method called "differential stripping" to quantify the penetration of topically applied substances into hair follicles.

research Transdermal Delivery of Minoxidil with Block Copolymer Nanoparticles

253 citations , June 2004 in “Journal of Controlled Release”

The research observed that 40-nm self-assembled nanoparticles enhanced minoxidil penetration in hairy guinea pig skin compared to 130-nm nanoparticles, but this size effect was absent in hairless skin.

research Penetration Profile of Microspheres in Follicular Targeting of Terminal Hair Follicles

316 citations , June 2004 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

This study found that using a standardized protocol with microspheres of approximately 1.5 micrometers enhances penetration into hair follicles, particularly when skin is treated with cyanoacrylate skin surface stripping.

research Hair Follicle Differentiation And Regulation

199 citations , January 2004 in “The International Journal of Developmental Biology”

This review discusses advances in understanding hair and hair follicle structure, gene expression, and molecular signals in hair formation, without reporting new clinical findings.

research Variations of Hair Follicle Size and Distribution in Different Body Sites

405 citations , January 2004 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This study found that hair follicle characteristics vary significantly across different body sites, with the forehead and calf showing the highest potential follicular reservoirs, challenging previous assumptions about skin appendage distribution.

research Gene Delivery to the Hair Follicle

34 citations , September 2003 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings”

This review discusses advancements in gene delivery to hair follicles and suggests potential gene therapy applications for treating hair loss, but it reports no new experimental results.