Telogen Effluvium Following Application of Selenium Disulfide in the Guinea Pig
September 1980
in “
PubMed
”
Studysummary This study found that applying a surfactant solution with 2.5% selenium disulfide to the back of guinea pigs significantly increased telogen hair, which may relate to observations of diffuse hair loss in humans under intense exposure conditions. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
In a study conducted 43 years ago, a standard surfactant solution was applied to one side of the back in 29 male guinea pigs and the same surfactant solution with an addition of 2.5% selenium disulfide to the other side. The application was carried out six times at three-day intervals. The detergent was not washed away to provide an intense exposure to the active substance. Investigations of the hair root status before and after treatment showed a significant increase in telogen hair, indicating hair loss. The researchers cautioned that these results from animal experiments cannot be directly applied to humans. However, they suggested that this might explain isolated observations of diffuse hair loss after treatment with selenium disulfide, assuming an especially intense penetration of the active substance in these cases.
