Fractional laser-assisted topical drug delivery

Abstract

Topical drugs have been widely applied to the treatment of dermatoses, and improving the bioavailability of drugs delivered via traditional transdermal routes is of great value. Recent studies have found that lasers can promote drugs to penetrate the skin with an increase in drug absorbility and penetration depth. Although traditional ablative lasers have remarkable therapeutic effect, there is a high incidence of adverse reactions such as erythema and pain. Based on the theory of selective photothermolysis, fractional lasers can improve skin permeability of drugs with reduced photothermal damage, have broken through the limitations of traditional lasers and shown great potential in clinical application. Key words: Laser therapy; Dermatologic agents; Skin absorption; Osmosis; Fractional lasers; Topical drug delivery