Human Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency: Treatment by Topical Application of Linoleic Acid

July 1977 in “ PubMed ”

Phyllis Skolnik, William H. Eaglstein, Vincent A. Ziboh

essential fatty acid deficiency linoleic acid topical application scalp dermatitis alopecia depigmentation of hair safflower oil eicosatrienoic acid eicosatetraenoic acid EFA deficiency hair loss skin inflammation hair color loss

TLDR Applying linoleic acid to the skin fixed essential fatty acid deficiency symptoms.

In 1977, a study was conducted on a 19-year-old man who developed an essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency due to a long-term regimen of fat-free, intravenous hyperalimentation fluids. The EFA deficiency was successfully reversed after 21 days of daily, topical application of linoleic acid to the patient's skin. The ratio of eicosatrienoic acid to eicosatetraenoic acid decreased to normal levels in the skin and serum, indicating clinical improvement of the EFA deficiency syndrome. The cutaneous manifestations, which included scalp dermatitis, alopecia, and depigmentation of hair, were reversed with continued, topical application of safflower oil, which contains 60% to 70% linoleic acid.

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