Can a Stevia-derived sweetener improve hair loss treatment?

Androgenetic alopecia is a common form of hair loss in both men and women-also called male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss. Topical minoxidil is an approved treatment, but it has poor water solubility and skin permeability. New research in Advanced Healthcare Materials reveals that stevioside, a natural sweetener derived from the Stevia plant, can improve the drug’s absorption into the skin.

In a mouse model of alopecia, a dissolving patch formulation of stevioside with minoxidil effectively promoted hair follicles to enter the growth phase, leading to new hair development.

“Using stevioside to enhance minoxidil delivery represents a promising step toward more effective and natural treatments for hair loss, potentially benefiting millions worldwide,” said co–corresponding author Lifeng Kang, PhD, of the University of Sydney, in Australia.

Reference:

Junying Zhang, Tianyu Shao, Hailiang Li, Luying Zhu, Lamyaa Albakr, Nial J. Wheate, Lifeng Kang, Chungyong Wu, Natural Sweetener Stevioside-Based Dissolving Microneedles Solubilize Minoxidil for the Treatment of Androgenic Alopecia, Advanced Healthcare Materials, https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202503575.