A study on dermatologists’ self-assessment of the efficacy of a 1% selenium disulfide—0.9% salicylic acid -based shampoo for scalp seborrheic dermatitis

Scalp seborrheic dermatitis (SSD) is a common inflammatory condition requiring effective topical treatment options. To evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of a 1% selenium disulfide (SeS2)-0.9% salicylic acid shampoo in treating mild to moderate SSD among dermatologists. 95 dermatologists with mild to moderate SSD used the shampoo thrice weekly for 4 weeks. Symptoms were assessed using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at baseline, Day 14, and Day 28. After 4-week treatment, severe dandruff cases decreased from 28.4% to 3.2%, with 90.5% participants reporting only mild or no dandruff. VAS scores showed significant improvement in all symptoms (p < 0.01). Product satisfaction reached 88.5%, with 90.5% willing to recommend it clinically. The findings of this study suggest that a shampoo based on 1% selenium disulfide (SeS2) and 0.9% salicylic acid is effective in helping alleviate the symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis (SSD).