AN OVERVIEW OF DANDRUFF AND NOVEL FORMULATIONS AS A TREATMENT STRATEGY

This review gives an insight of the scalp condition-dandruff which affects more than 50% of the human population. Malassezia furfur is reported as the main cause of dandruff. This article aims at investigating other causes of dandruff which include microbial and non - microbial factors. These factors have been explained in this article. It also highlights the various treatment options and newer formulations. Various active agents like anti-fungal agents, keratolytic agents and anti - proliferative agents that are used against dandruff, along with their mechanisms of action are covered in this article. Conventional formulations like Shampoos, creams and lotions have their own set of advantages and limitations. To overcome the disadvantages and prolong the release of actives, novel formulations like Liposomes, Niosomes, Solid lipid nanoparticles, Nanolipid carriers and Silver nanoparticles are being developed. Novel delivery systems have been successfully used for pharmaceutical formulations and they can prove to be a promising delivery system for scalp treatment too.