A common sweetener could be the key to fighting baldness

According to a study published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials, stevioside, derived from the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana), can improve the absorption of minoxidil, the main drug used to treat androgenetic alopecia.

Androgenetic alopecia is the most common form of hair loss, affecting both men and women. Its varieties are known as male and female pattern baldness and androgenetic alopecia. Although minoxidil is officially approved for external use, its effectiveness is limited because the substance is poorly soluble in water and has difficulty penetrating the skin.

Researchers from the University of Sydney (Australia) have proposed using stevioside to solve this problem. The scientists created soluble micro patches, which included stevioside and minoxidil. In experiments on mice, this combination significantly improved the penetration of the drug into the skin and activated the growth of hair follicles.

Observations showed that the follicles of animals treated with the new compound moved faster into the phase of active growth, which stimulated the appearance of new hair.

"Using stevioside to enhance minoxidil delivery opens up the prospect of a more effective and natural hair loss treatment that could help millions of people worldwide," said study co-author Dr Lifeng Kang from the University of Sydney.

Scientists note that the natural origin of stevioside makes it a safe and biocompatible component. Thanks to this approach could be used not only in the therapy of baldness, but also for other dermatological purposes, where deep penetration of drugs through the skin is required.

Previously, synthetic additives and alcohol solutions were used to enhance the action of minoxidil, but these often caused skin irritation and allergic reactions. A new method using stevioside may provide a natural ingredient-based alternative.

Although so far the research has only been conducted on animals, the results already indicate that the development of such micro patches for human clinical trials is promising. In the future, the technology could form the basis of new anti-alopecia treatments that are safe, convenient and without side effects.