Permeation of Topically Applied Magnesium Ions Through Human Skin Is Facilitated by Hair Follicles

The study from June 2016 found that magnesium ions can penetrate through the human stratum corneum and that hair follicles significantly enhance this permeation. A novel method was used to plug hair follicles, which showed that when follicles were blocked, magnesium penetration was significantly reduced. The research used a 1.9 M MgCl₂ solution and demonstrated a 40% increase in magnesium ion penetration over 15 minutes in skin sections with unplugged follicles. The findings indicate that while the stratum corneum offers resistance to magnesium ion penetration, the presence of hair follicles facilitates the process in a time- and concentration-dependent manner.