Dermatology researchers in South Korea are now looking at a different delivery system to treat facial wrinkles: the transdermal patch.

Composed of microneedles in diameters of 30 micrometers (much thinner than an eyelash), these patches create minute openings into the dermis of the skin to facilitate the deployment of medications.

Patches are already used this way in hormone replacement therapy, or as nicotine patches for smoking cessation.  In a 2017 article in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, researchers have published their preliminary findings on the use of these patches as a potential vehicle for facial rejuvenation.