January 2026 in “Pharmaceutics” This review highlighted recent advances in nanocarrier-based topical delivery systems for skincare, emphasizing their potential to enhance ingredient stability, penetration, and targeted release while addressing specific pathophysiological skin concerns.
37 citations
,
October 2009 in “Dermatology” This study suggests that the action of minoxidil in stimulating hair growth likely occurs at the follicular dermal papilla, though it does not induce new follicle formation.
36 citations
,
May 2005 in “BMC dermatology” This study found that topical diphenylcyclopropenone was effective in treating severe alopecia areata but had a high relapse rate and was often accompanied by side effects like eczema and lymphadenopathy.
5 citations
,
January 1994 in “Skin Pharmacology and Physiology” This study found that minoxidil forms a reservoir in the skin, allowing sustained drug delivery even after cleansing, while propylene glycol does not.
268 citations
,
April 2009 in “International Journal of Pharmaceutics” In this study, niosomal formulations enhanced minoxidil skin accumulation compared to commercial and control solutions, suggesting a potential improvement for topical delivery in hair loss treatment.
19 citations
,
September 2020 in “Pharmaceutics” This study investigated a new formula called SV-loaded nanospanlastics for topical application to treat androgenic alopecia. It showed similar effectiveness to minoxidil lotion but with fewer adverse effects when used to enhance dermal delivery and efficacy of sodium valproate.
January 2026 in “Indus journal of bioscience research.” In this study, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis extract was used to formulate and evaluate herbal cosmetic creams for their antioxidant properties, stability, and effectiveness. The formulations demonstrated strong antioxidant potential, stability under various conditions, and favorable cosmetic qualities, suggesting HRS as a beneficial ingredient in skincare products.
8 citations
,
August 2019 in “Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics” This study aimed to formulate and evaluate a herbal gel containing Allium cepa extract for its physical properties, such as appearance, viscosity, and spreadability, but it does not report specific results or effectiveness in preventing hair loss.
June 2026 in “Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)” This study formulated an herbal hair dye using the medicinal herb Eclipta alba and other natural ingredients, finding it provided satisfactory coloring effects, conditioning benefits, stability, and safety, which supports its potential as a natural alternative to synthetic hair dyes.
June 2026 in “Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)” In this study, researchers formulated a herbal hair dye using Eclipta alba and evaluated it for various parameters, finding it provided satisfactory coloring, conditioning, and stability without irritation, supporting its potential as a safer alternative to synthetic dyes.
October 2024 in “International Journal of Pharma Professional’s Research (IJPPR)” This study developed and characterized Quercetin-loaded nanogels, finding that they showed promising potential for enhanced drug delivery and stability in treating Alopecia, with an optimized batch achieving a drug release of 95.32% over 12 hours.
This article provides an overview of current treatments and alternative formulations for androgenic alopecia but reports no new clinical results.
February 2023 in “Journal of Microencapsulation” This study developed a stable lyophilized finasteride nanosystem for topical delivery and found that it was stable for 90 days and that formulations with 15% trehalose showed favorable characteristics for potential use in treating androgenic alopecia.
January 2025 in “NATIONS UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTI-DISCIPLINARY STUDIES” This study focused on the formulation of topical gels containing Equisetum arvense extract, evaluating their consistency and preparation using gelling agents for potential application in enhancing drug delivery to wound sites.
January 2022 in “المجلة العراقية للصيدلة” In this review, researchers examined the molecular pharmacology and effects of topical minoxidil, noting its potential to treat androgenetic alopecia by enhancing hair regrowth, while also discussing advanced formulation methods like nanoemulsion and nanocarrier systems to improve its delivery.
5 citations
,
November 2025 in “Biomolecules” This review examines the benefits of topical hyaluronic acid in cosmetic applications, noting its ability to penetrate the skin in low-molecular-weight forms and highlighting safety supported by clinical trials.
November 2025 in “Discover Pharmaceutical Sciences” In this study, a nanoemulsion containing lavender, peppermint, and rosemary essential oils was developed and shown to promote hair growth in mice at a rate comparable to 2% topical minoxidil, suggesting a promising natural alternative due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
October 2020 in “Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences” This study found that using gallate-containing formulations like EGCG or tannic acid increased the solubility and controlled release of finasteride in microspheres, enhancing its dermal penetration in pig skin by 10 to 50 times compared to a control.
3 citations
,
September 2018 in “Current Drug Delivery” This study found that a finasteride topical gel formulation using propylene glycol and Tween® 80 showed significantly enhanced permeation compared to a control formulation without these enhancers.
1 citations
,
April 2023 in “Biomolecules” This study found that hair care products containing fermented papaya, fermented mangosteen, and caffeine significantly inhibited hair loss, increased hair density and thickness, and improved hair follicle structure in individuals with androgenic or diffuse alopecia over three months compared to placebo and caffeine controls.
1 citations
,
January 2023 in “Research Square (Research Square)” This study found that a neem-based herbal formulation may be more effective than ivermectin in treating sarcoptic mange in dromedary camels, leading to complete recovery without scarring or keratinization.
3 citations
,
June 2021 in “PLOS ONE” This study found that topical application of the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib improved wound healing and promoted hair follicle regeneration in a diabetic murine model.
1 citations
,
February 2025 in “International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research” This study developed and validated a simple, accurate, and sensitive HPTLC method for estimating minoxidil and aminexil in topical solutions, demonstrating effective separation and linear measurement of these compounds with %RSD under 2% and high regression coefficients.
May 2021 in “ThinkTech (Texas Tech University)” In this study, BlastX wound gel did not interfere with wound healing in both uninfected and S. aureus infected murine wounds, and it may enhance healing in uninfected conditions.
December 2025 in “International Journal of Research in Dermatology” In this survey, dermatologists in India reported preferring alcohol-free minoxidil combined with procapil and finasteride over traditional alcohol-based formulations for managing androgenetic alopecia, citing better tolerance and patient adherence.
16 citations
,
October 1994 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” Two non-steroidal antiandrogens, RU 58841 and RU 56187, form a common metabolite at different rates, which may influence their effects; RU 56187 could be used for prostate cancer treatment and RU 58841 for acne treatment.
102 citations
,
February 2008 in “The FASEB Journal” This study found that human hair follicles express ATP-sensitive potassium channels, suggesting that minoxidil acts on these channels and that drugs targeting them may treat hair disorders.
48 citations
,
January 2017 in “Skin Pharmacology and Physiology” This study found that polymeric nanoparticles may effectively deliver finasteride topically to hair follicles, potentially improving alopecia treatment with fewer side effects than oral forms.
25 citations
,
January 2010 in “International Journal of Pharmaceutics” This study found that polymeric nanoparticles retained more minoxidil and facilitated superior drug permeation compared to lipid nanoparticles, although premature drug release affected formulation performance.
25 citations
,
January 2002 in “Folia Pharmacologica Japonica” This article reviews the proposed mechanism of minoxidil in treating androgenetic alopecia, suggesting it may prolong the anagen phase by modulating cell growth factors and vascular activity, but reports no new results.