Microneedling dilates the follicular infundibulum and increases transfollicular absorption of liposomal sepia melanin

    Gabriel Serrano, Patricia Almudever, Juan Monte Serrano, Julio Cortijo, Carmen Faus, Magda Reyes, I. Lopez Exposito, Ana Torrens, Fernando Millán
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    TLDR Microneedling helps increase the absorption of a melanin product into hair follicles, which may improve laser hair removal effectiveness.
    The study from June 2015 demonstrated that microneedling, using an electrical device called the Nanopore turbo roller, significantly enhances the absorption of liposomal sepia melanin into hair follicles. The procedure resulted in a 47% increase in the width of the follicular infundibulum and allowed for greater deposits of melanin at various depths within hair structures compared to manual application. This finding suggests that microneedling could improve the efficacy of laser hair removal, particularly for individuals with lightly pigmented hair, by facilitating deeper and more even distribution of melanin. The document also highlighted the broader applications of microneedling in enhancing skin absorption of various compounds and its potential in improving treatments for conditions like melasma, alopecia areata, and androgenetic alopecia. However, the study's conclusions may be influenced by potential conflicts of interest, as the authors are associated with Sesderma Laboratories. Clinical trials on liposomal melanin lotions for laser hair removal have shown mixed results, but the combination of microneedling with melanin formulations could potentially reduce treatment time and costs.
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