Erbium-Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet Laser Irradiation Ameliorates Skin Permeation and Follicular Delivery of Antialopecia Drugs

The study demonstrated that Erbium-Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet (Er-YAG) laser treatment can significantly enhance the skin permeation and follicular delivery of antialopecia drugs, specifically Minoxidil (MXD), Diphencyprone (DPCP), and a FITC-labeled peptide. The laser treatment increased MXD skin accumulation by two to ninefold, with the greatest enhancement observed at an ablation depth of 10 µm. While DPCP absorption was less enhanced, the laser treatment still significantly increased its skin deposition and flux, with a notable 20-fold increase in skin deposition. The peptide required a 10 µm ablation depth for significant skin uptake enhancement. The study also found that the laser treatment promoted drug uptake in hair follicles, particularly for DPCP. These findings suggest that Er-YAG laser irradiation could be a promising method to improve the delivery and efficacy of antialopecia treatments. The data presented are the mean ± SD of four experiments, indicating a reliable set of results.