A STUDY ON NANOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCES ON ALPECIA

Abstract

In a particular region of the skin, alopecia is the partial or complete loss of hair that affects millions of men and women worldwide. It is a disease characterised by gradual loss of hair from the scalp or any other region of the body, reflecting the most common complaint in dermatological practise. The most common approved therapies have inconvenient clinical regimens and severe adverse effects. As the psychological distress caused by the altered appearance can lead to decreased self-esteem, resulting in serious symptoms such as depression and anxiety, this condition must not be considered a minor cosmetic problem. Nanoencapsulation has evolved in this situation as a relatively easy technology to boost the therapeutic outcome of this pathology, encouraging the transmission of targeted drugs with improved local bioavailability, that could reduce the negative impacts. In this context, we are discussing some recent research on nanosystems built for the pharmacological treatment of alopecia, highlighting how each device represents an advance in relation to traditional drug products and the potential market opportunities for these emerging technologies.