Effect of Physical Stimuli on Hair Follicle Deposition of Clobetasol-Loaded Lipid Nanocarriers

The study investigated the effectiveness of clobetasol-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) for targeting hair follicles compared to a commercial cream, and the impact of various physical stimuli on drug delivery. The NLCs significantly increased clobetasol uptake in hair follicles by about 40 times compared to the commercial cream. Manual massage was the most effective physical stimulus, doubling the follicular retention of clobetasol compared to passive application. Ultrasound treatment, especially with mechanical vibration, also enhanced drug retention in deeper skin layers. The study concluded that NLCs were promising for delivering clobetasol to hair follicles, with manual massage being a simple yet effective method to enhance drug delivery. The study involved in vitro experiments with a sample size of 6.