methods for enhancing penetration of compounds / drugs into an animal or human through their hair follicles are provided . the methods employ topical application of swellable compositions which can maintain a passage for desired drugs by either opening hair follicles and preventing them from collapsing or increasing the depth of inner lumen space of the hair follicles . the swellable composition can be polymers that are biodegradable , bioactive , encapsulated in microspheres or liposomes , and / or form microspheres . the method is useful to increase compound / drug penetration deep into a patient , to increase flux of compounds / drugs through the hair follicle , to obtain release of compounds / drugs in the tissues surrounding hair follicle or under the skin surface , and to obtain a systemic effect of the compounds / drugs after topical application . the method is also useful to increase therapeutic effects of compounds / drugs in the treatment of a wide variety of skin disorders . the method can further used to obtain permanent removing of unwanted hair by permitting the diffusion of compounds / drugs deeply into hair follicles .