TLDR Targeting hair follicles can improve skin treatments and reduce side effects.
The document discussed how hair follicles significantly enhance the penetration of topically applied compounds by increasing surface area and disrupting the epidermal barrier. Hair follicles serve as reservoirs and major entry points for these compounds, which can help reduce side effects and improve treatment strategies for skin diseases. Various drug delivery systems are being investigated to target specific compartments within hair follicles, offering potential advancements in hair therapy, treatment of hair follicle-associated diseases, gene therapy, and immunotherapy.
316 citations,
June 2004 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” Microspheres about 1.5 micrometers in size can best penetrate hair follicles, potentially reaching important stem cells.
405 citations,
January 2004 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Hair follicle size and distribution vary significantly across different body sites.
1010 citations,
August 2000 in “Cell” Hair follicle stem cells can form both hair follicles and skin.
124 citations,
April 2000 in “Nature biotechnology” 
62 citations,
May 1997 in “Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences” Sebaceous glands in the skin play a key role in absorbing the antiandrogen drug RU 58841, especially when it's encapsulated in liposomes.
60 citations,
February 1997 in “Journal of Dermatological Science” Liposomes can safely and effectively deliver substances to mouse hair follicles, potentially useful for human hair treatments.
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.
47 citations,
August 2016 in “Fitoterapia” Some herbs and their components might help treat hair loss by affecting various biological pathways, but more research and regulation are needed.
1 citations,
January 2022 in “Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences” The new skin cream with FOL-005 safely promotes hair growth and is stable and user-friendly.
13 citations,
October 2012 in “InTech eBooks” Nanocarriers could improve how drugs are delivered through the skin but require more research to overcome challenges and ensure safety.
4 citations,
July 2023 in “Pharmaceutics (Basel)” Nanoparticle-based drug delivery to hair follicles is more effective when tested under conditions that match skin behavior.
