Optimization and Transfollicular Delivery of Finasteride-Loaded Proniosomes for Hair Growth Stimulation in C57BL/6Mlac Mice

The study optimized finasteride-loaded proniosomes (FLP) for hair growth stimulation in C57BL/6Mlac mice, achieving significant transfollicular delivery and hair growth comparable to 2% minoxidil. The optimal FLP formulation contained 5.0 mM finasteride, 10.1 mM total lipid, and 50% cholesterol, showing high encapsulation efficiency (71-95%) and drug loading capacity (1.2-43%). In vivo tests on 30 mice over 4 weeks demonstrated that 1% FLP significantly promoted hair growth, increasing hair follicle number and size without causing skin irritation. The results suggest FLP as a promising alternative for managing hair loss by enhancing finasteride delivery.