Novel drug delivery approaches for the management of hair loss

Abstract

Introduction: Alopecia is a common clinical complaint for patients and often a source of significant psychological distress. The goal of therapy is to stop hair loss and encourage regrowth. Many treatment modalities are available and novel drug delivery approaches are needed to maximize results and minimize potential side effects.Areas covered: Many novel drug delivery approaches for the management of hair loss have been developed in recent years. This review summarizes all therapeutic modalities used to enhance drug penetration into the scalp including microneedling, laser-assisted, radio-frequency, sonophoresis, iontophoresis. Advantages and developments in nanoparticles drug delivery approaches are also discussed.Expert opinion: When considering novel drug delivery approaches for alopecia, physicians should consider the intended target and etiology of hair loss.

Keywords: Alopecia; dutasteride; finasteride; fractional laser; hair loss; iontophoresis; mesotherapy; microneedling; minoxidil; nanoparticles; novel drug delivery; platelet rich plasma; sonophoresis; topical drug delivery; transdermal drug delivery; ultrasound.