89 citations
,
November 2014 in “International Journal of Nanomedicine” This study suggests that spironolactone-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers could enhance follicular delivery and offer a more localized treatment for androgenic alopecia, potentially reducing systemic side effects.
64 citations
,
April 2005 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study observed that topical oligonucleotide penetration in mouse skin involves a follicular route, suggesting potential suitability for targeting hair follicle-related structures.
32 citations
,
March 2013 in “Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences” This study observed that iontophoresis significantly improved the delivery of minoxidil sulfate to hair follicles compared to passive methods, suggesting potential benefits for alopecia treatment.
31 citations
,
September 2014 in “Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences” This study found that Er–YAG laser treatment significantly enhanced skin absorption and follicular delivery of antialopecia drugs, suggesting a potential laser-assisted approach to treat alopecia.
27 citations
,
September 2018 in “Medicines” This study reported that oleic acid-based nanovesicles improve follicular delivery and reduce side effects of minoxidil compared to traditional MXD lotions.
27 citations
,
September 2015 in “Drug development and industrial pharmacy” This study demonstrated that adapalene encapsulated in liposomes significantly improved drug delivery to hair follicles compared to gel and drug solution, potentially targeting acne treatment more effectively.
11 citations
,
May 2010 in “Journal of Medicinal Chemistry” This study introduced a novel nonsteroidal androgen receptor antagonist that effectively controls sebum production in the golden Syrian hamster ear model through targeted follicular delivery.
9 citations
,
July 2017 in “Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology” This study suggests that a microemulsion formulation of Minoxidil effectively enhances drug delivery through hair follicles, showing significant follicular response alterations in an alopecia model.
5 citations
,
March 2016 in “Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy” This article reviews the promising ease of drug administration via transdermal and other topical routes, highlighting their potential for high patient compliance and reduced side effects but provides no new clinical results.
2 citations
,
December 2024 in “Apple Academic Press eBooks” This study reports that optimal follicular penetration in nanocarrier-assisted drug delivery for skin diseases occurs with carrier sizes between 300 and 650 nm, while certain traditional medicine practices have shown effectiveness in treating skin conditions.
1 citations
,
July 2023 in “Cosmetics” This study found that a novel shampoo formulation effectively delivers caffeine to hair follicles, with 8–9% of absorbed caffeine reaching the follicles, suggesting it may support hair retention by enhancing antioxidant activity.
May 2026 in “Therapeutic Delivery” This study found that applying a dutasteride-loaded liposome formulation to damp rat skin nearly doubled the drug's follicular accumulation compared to dry skin, suggesting scalp hydration status may significantly impact the drug's topical delivery, especially in follicle-rich areas.
This study found that in an androgenetic alopecia mouse model, phospholipid-bile salt mixed micelles for topical Finasteride delivery improved hair regrowth and reduced systemic absorption compared to a hydroalcoholic solution, suggesting a safer and more effective treatment option.
In this study, a novel liposomal peptide formulation significantly enhanced hair growth in mice compared to minoxidil, but results on human tissue penetration were inconclusive, suggesting further research is needed for translation to human use.
January 2014 in “Belarusian State Pedagogical University repository (Belarusian State Pedagogical University)” Laser treatment can improve the delivery of hair loss drugs into the skin and hair follicles.
This study reports that a novel ketoconazole-loaded microneedle array significantly enhances drug delivery and retention in the skin, demonstrating improved hair growth in animal models, suggesting a promising treatment for androgenic alopecia that addresses current topical therapies' limitations.
November 2014 in “DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)” This study suggests that nanostructured lipid carriers loaded with spironolactone might improve localized delivery to hair follicles for treating androgenic alopecia, potentially minimizing systemic side effects.
January 2015 in “SciDok (Saarland University and State Library)” This study confirmed the porcine ear skin model's effectiveness for studying nanoparticle-based drug delivery in human hair follicles, noting particle-dependent uptake and enhancement by massage.
55 citations
,
January 2002 in “Journal of liposome research” This research explores developing liposomal formulations to enhance the delivery of difficult-to-absorb agents directly to hair follicles and sebaceous glands, with minoxidil and plasmid DNA as study molecules.
15 citations
,
November 2020 in “Pharmaceutics” In this ex vivo and mouse model study, Tofacitinib-loaded nanoparticles demonstrated enhanced delivery of the drug into hair follicles and reduced inflammatory effects compared to conventional forms, indicating potential for safer, topical use in treating alopecia areata.
2 citations
,
February 2025 in “Journal of Nanobiotechnology” In this study, metal-organic frameworks modified with stearic acid were used to deliver cardamonin to hair follicles, significantly promoting hair growth and cell proliferation in testosterone-challenged mice, suggesting potential benefits for androgenic alopecia treatment.
1 citations
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November 2024 in “Pharmaceutical Sciences” This review study found that vesicular carriers like liposomes, niosomes, invasomes, and transferosomes can enhance drug penetration through follicles, benefiting treatments for alopecia, acne, and infections, as well as potentially facilitating systemic delivery of antihypertensive drugs and insulin.
May 2026 in “Drug Delivery and Translational Research” Nanocarriers with spironolactone and 2-deoxy-D-ribose may improve hair loss treatment by targeting hair follicles directly.
March 2024 in “Bioimpacts” In this study, curcumin-loaded nanoparticles with a size of 400 nm showed optimal accumulation in human hair follicles after seven days, although mouse models differed significantly in penetration and retention, indicating limitations in their suitability for follicular drug delivery studies.
34 citations
,
October 2014 in “European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics” This study found that adapalene-loaded solid lipid microparticles may enhance targeted drug delivery into sebum due to their similarity to sebum components, although both this formulation and a standard cream showed equivalent follicular penetration.
18 citations
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September 2021 in “Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces” This study explored the development of polymeric nanoparticles for topical spironolactone delivery, finding that larger nanoparticles (180 nm) enhanced drug targeting to hair follicles significantly more than smaller ones or non-nanoparticle formulations, offering promise for safer acne and alopecia treatments.
January 2026 in “Journal of advanced Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences” This review highlights niosomal cetirizine as a promising strategy for managing alopecia, potentially enhancing local bioavailability and reducing systemic exposure.
127 citations
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June 2006 in “International Journal of Pharmaceutics” This research found that liquid-state liposomes and niosomes may enhance finasteride delivery to pilosebaceous units in hamsters more effectively than gel-state vesicles or hydroalcoholic solution.
8 citations
,
June 2019 in “Pharmaceutical research” This study found that using short durations of heat with chemical penetration enhancers improved isotretinoin delivery to human skin, especially via the hair follicles.
5 citations
,
May 2020 in “Pharmaceutical Research” This study found that short durations of heat and specific chemical penetration enhancers significantly improved the delivery of finasteride to human scalp skin and hair follicles.