Lipohydroxy acid containing shampoo in the treatment of scalp seborrheic dermatitis

Dandruff is a common scalp disorder affecting almost half of the post-pubertal population of any ethnicity and both genders. It is one of the major reasons for patients to consult a dermatologist. Itching and scaling (dandruff) are symptoms of a common scalp dermatitis: seborrheic dermatitis. In many patients, this dermatosis cause significant psychological and social distress, largely due to the impact of its symptoms. Lipohydroxy acid or 2-hydroxy-5-octanoyl benzoic acid is a salicylic acid derivative. The lipohydroxy acid antifungal and exfoliating properties are likely to prove useful in combating dandruff. This chapter summarizes clinical studies evaluating both the efficacy, the tolerance, the cosmetic properties and the benefit in patient’s quality of life of a 4-week treatment with a shampoo containing 0.1% lipohydroxy acid and 1.3% salicylic acid. The comparison with a ketoconazole or cyclopiroxolamine containing shampoo was also described.