The Effect of Dimethyl Sulfoxide on Percutaneous Absorption: A Mechanistic Study, Part III
January 1968
TLDR DMSO causes reversible swelling in hair but has a complex, less reversible effect on skin.
Additional studies in 1968 supported the role of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in swelling hair fibers, showing that high concentrations of DMSO were needed for significant swelling and uptake, and that this swelling was reversible. At low pH, DMSO increased electrostatic repulsions within the fibers, leading to greater swelling. However, the effect of DMSO on the skin barrier was more complex and not easily reversible, with lipid extraction potentially contributing to protein swelling in the skin.