: The pilosebaceous unit is the triad comprising of hair follicle, arrector pilli muscle, and sebaceous gland. Drug delivery to and through the hair follicles has garnered much attention of the researchers and the hair follicles represent an attractive target site via topical applications. They are bordered by capillaries and antigen-presenting cells, connected to the sebaceous glands and the bulge region of the hair follicle anchors the stem cells. The nano lipid carriers have the propensity to penetrate through the skin via transcellular route, intracellular route and follicular route. It has been established that nano lipid carriers have the potential for follicular drug delivery and provide some advantages over conventional pathways, including improved bioavailability, enhanced penetration depth, fast transport into the skin, tissue targeting and form a drug reservoir for prolong release. This review describes the pilosebaceous unit (PSU) and related diseases and the recent lipid-based nanotechnology approaches for drug delivery to the follicular unit as well as related tissues. Different types of nano lipid carriers including ethosomes, liposomes, nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), and nano lipid carriers (NLCs) have been reported for follicular drug delivery. Targeted drug delivery with nano-lipid carriers has the potential to augment the efficacy of drugs/bioactives to treat diseases of PSU. This review systematically introduces the activities of different formulations and use of nano lipid carriers in treating PSU related disorders like alopecia, acne, and hirsutism.

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Hairs are exposed to a host of endogenous and environmental stress by pollutants, microbial assaults, UV radiation, oxidized scalp lipids, grooming practices and cosmetic treatments which have diverse range of adverse consequences. The exposure to these environmental and cosmetic substances, leads to generation of free radicals, reactive oxygen species in particular, leading to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress generates inflammation, and/or psycho-emotional stress, and also influences the ageing process, including the hair follicle. The term alopecia signifies loss of hair owing to several factors, ultimately resulting in decreased hair density. Cell death on hair follicle (keratinocytes and its distinctive mesenchyme of dermal papilla) have been attributed to mechanisms of oxidative stress, including H2O2, nitric oxide and derivatives, ultraviolet rays, ionizing radiations, endotoxin-induced inflammation, photodynamic therapy and cigarette smoke. Persistent oxidative activities in the body, may generate antioxidant defense systems, which can prevent the attack of biological molecules. In case of androgenic alopecia, copper and zinc was discovered in the disrupted metabolism form in serum, urine and hair of the patients, and data suggests rise in oxidative stress. This review is focused on the effects of the reactive oxygenated species in disturbing the redox balance and inducing oxidative injury that leads to androgenic alopecia.