Baldness: a patch from stevia to regrow hair

Stevia, a natural sweetener that many of us use to lighten coffee, could have an unexpected second life: awaken the sleeping hair follicles of those who lose their hair. A group of researchers from the University of Sydney and China Pharmaceutical University have transformed stevioside – the compound extracted from the stevia plant – into tiny dissoluble needles which, when applied to the skin, release minoxidil with greater effectiveness than classic lotions. On mice with androgenic alopecia, induced by testosterone, iThe patch produced regrowth in 68 percent of the treated areacompared to the 26 percent obtained with the standard 2 percent solution.

side effects

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Minoxidil, one of the few over-the-counter medications approved for male and female pattern baldness, has a problem: it dissolves very poorly in water and does not penetrate well through the skin. When the alcohol in the lotions evaporates, the active ingredient crystallizes, causing itching and allergic reactions that push many patients to abandon therapy. However, treatment options for androgenic alopecia remain limited. In addition to minoxidil there is only oral finasteride: it blocks the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, the hormone that causes follicles to shrink, but it carries risks of sexual side effects and cannot be used by women of childbearing age. Some dermatologists already combine minoxidil with microneedling procedures, using thin needles to create holes that increase the drug’s penetration. Clinical studies have shown that this approach produces better growth than minoxidil alone, and this supports the rationale for dissolvable microneedles.

The stevioside seems to solve the problem of solubility by increasing it by about 18 times. Its molecular structure forms small bubbles, micelles, in water, where minoxidil slips in and is packaged into a soluble form. Tests on pig skin showed the patches released 85 percent of the drug in 24 hourswith 18 percent remaining in the skin tissue where the follicles live. The traditional alcohol solution achieves only 68 percent penetration and leaves just 8 percent in the skin.

microneedles

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Microscopic examination of the samples revealed that the micro-needles are able to move the follicles from the resting phase – where alopecia keeps them blocked – to the active growth phase. The follicles in the deeper layers appeared darker, a sign of greater pigmentation. Dissolvable needles leave no waste or require removal – they gradually dissolve, releasing the medication over time. The study, published on Advanced Healthcare Materialshowever, remains a theoretical proof, for now. The mouse experiment has the limitation that growth cycles differ between mice and people. Only human studies will be able to confirm that the discovery works and has no adverse effects.