Effectiveness and Tolerance of Medicated Shampoo Containing Selenium Sulfide and Salicylic Acid in Patients with Seborrheic Dermatitis

May 2025 in “ Journal of Dermatological Treatment ”

Lei Wang, Huijuan Liu, Nuo Li, Ying Wang, Qingwu Liu, Yijie Zheng, Dingquan Yang, Wenyu Wu

selenium sulfide salicylic acid seborrheic dermatitis dandruff scalp redness itching greasiness sebum production

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Studysummary This study found that a medicated shampoo containing selenium sulfide and salicylic acid effectively reduced symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis in Chinese patients, but females experienced significantly lower rates of good effectiveness and tolerance compared to males.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

This study involving 560 patients with seborrheic dermatitis found that a medicated shampoo containing selenium sulfide and salicylic acid significantly improved dandruff, scalp redness, itching, and greasiness over 21 days. However, females reported lower effectiveness (87.5% vs. 93.6%) and tolerance (93.9% vs. 99.6%) compared to males, suggesting gender differences in treatment response due to factors like scalp sensitivity and sebum production. The study emphasizes the need for tailored treatments for females and acknowledges limitations such as self-reported data and a cross-sectional design, which restrict causal conclusions. Future research should employ longitudinal designs and objective scalp health measures.

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