The present invention concerns methods and reagents useful in modulating gene expression in a variety of applications, including use in therapeutic, cosmetic, cosmeceutical, prophylactic, diagnostic, target validation, and genomic discovery applications. Specifically, the invention relates to synthetic chemically modified small nucleic acid molecules, such as short interfering nucleic acid (siNA), short interfering RNA (siRNA), double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), micro-RNA (miRNA), and short hairpin RNA (shRNA) molecules capable of mediating RNA interference (RNAi) against target nucleic acid sequences. The small nucleic acid molecules are useful in the treatment of any disease (e.g., cancer, proliferative, inflammatory, metabolic, autoimmune, neurologic, ocular diseases), condition, trait (e.g., hair growth and removal), genotype or phenotype that responds to modulation of gene expression or activity in a cell, tissue, or organism. Such small nucleic acid molecules can be administered systemically, locally, or topically.