Recent Trends in Nanocarrier Formulations of Actives Beyond Minoxidil and 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors in Androgenetic Alopecia Management: A Systematic Review

    Tanaya D. Khairnar, Gaurav S. Chavan, Meenaz M. Sayyed, Nayan A. Gujarathi, Abhijeet A. Aher, Yogeeta O. Agrawal, Tulshidas S. Patil
    From the encyclopedia
    Minoxidil →

    An essential vasodilator with some anti-androgenic effects

    Spironolactone →

    powerful topical and oral anti-androgen used mostly by women

    Melatonin →

    hormone commonly taken for sleep aid has some topical benefits for hair

    Studysummary This review highlights that nanocarrier-based formulations, using both synthetic drugs and natural components, show promise in overcoming the limitations of current androgenetic alopecia treatments with modified release profiles and enhanced drug delivery, though clinical trials remain limited. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
    This systematic review explores the potential of nanocarrier-based formulations for treating androgenetic alopecia (AGA) beyond the conventional minoxidil and 5-α reductase inhibitors. The review highlights the limitations of current treatments, such as frequent application and adverse effects, and discusses the advantages of nanocarriers, including improved drug stability, skin penetration, and targeted delivery. Various nanocarrier formulations of drugs like spironolactone, flutamide, and natural components were found to enhance hair follicle size and increase the anagen phase hair count. However, the review emphasizes the need for more extensive clinical trials to validate these findings and suggests that nanocarrier-based formulations offer a promising alternative for AGA management.
    Discuss this study in the Community →

    Research cited in this study

    39 / 39 results