Researchers have recently designed an initial microneedle patch that contains nanoparticles in the fight against baldness that can at times be distressing.
According to a Phys.org report, the nanoparticles this new invention helps solve the said problem and regrow hair faster than a leading treatment available today.
A wide range of over-the-counter remedies is currently available, although most of them do not concentrate on the root causes which include oxidative stress and insufficient circulation.
The most typical hair loss problem is identified as androgenic alopecia, also called male- or female-baldness. More so, hair loss is permanent for those suffering from the condition as there are no adequate blood vessels that surround the follicles to deliver nutrients, cytokines, as well as other vital molecules.
Additionally, a buildup of reactive oxygen species in the scalp can stimulate the cells' untimely death, forming and growing new hair.
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Cerium-Containing Nanoparticles
Fangyuan Li and Jianqing Gao, together with colleagues previously determined that cerium-containing nanoparticles can emulate enzymes that eliminate excess reactive oxygen species, which lessened the oxidative stress in liver injuries, wounds, and other disorders like Alzheimer's disease, among others.
Nevertheless, these nanoparticles cannot cross the skin's outmost layer. Therefore, the study authors wanted to design a slightly aggressive way of delivering cerium-containing nanoparticles near the hair roots deep beneath the skin to promote regrowth of hair.
As an initial step, the scientists coated cerium particles using a recyclable polyethylene glycolipid compound.
They then made the dissolvable microneedle patch by pouring a mixture of hyaluronic acid, a substance naturally rich in human skin, and nanoparticles that contain cerium into a mold.
Study in Mice
The team had the control patches as well as the cerium-containing ones tested on male rodents with bald spots caused by a hair removal cream.
Both applications stimulated the new blood vessels' formation around the hair follicles of the mice. Nonetheless, those treated with the nanoparticle patch exhibited faster indications of hair going through a transition in the root-like earlier skin pigmentation and higher compound levels found only at the start of new hair development. These mice also had lesser oxidative stress compounds in their skin.
In their research, Ceria Nanozyme-Integrated Microneedles Reshape the Perifollicular Microenvironment for Androgenetic Alopecia Treatment, published in ACS Publications, the study investigators discovered that the cerium-containing microneedle patches resulted in faster regrowth in mice, with the same coverage, thickness, and diameter, compared with a leading topical treatment that could be used less frequently.
The study authors also specified that microneedle patches, introducing cerium nanoparticles into the skin area potential approach to the reversal of balding for androgenetic alopecia patients.
Other Treatment Forms
According to Mayo Clinic, there are effective treatments available for certain hair loss types. More so, one might be able to reverse hair loss, or at least delay it. Treating such a condition may include medications and even surgery.
For medication, if hair loss is resulting from an underlying condition, treatment for that particular illness will certainly be essential. Also, if a particular medication is the one that causes hair loss, the doctor may advise a patient to discontinue using it for several months.
Related information about microneedle therapy for hair loss is shown on Carolyn Frost's YouTube video below:
RELATED ARTICLE : Researchers Reveal Possible Cure for Baldness
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