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Selenium disulfide
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Selenium disulfide
Selenium disulfide, also known as selenium sulfide, is a chemical compound and medication used to treat seborrheic dermatitis, dandruff, and pityriasis versicolor. It is applied to the affected area as a lotion or shampoo. Symptoms frequently return if treatment is stopped.
Side effects may include hair discoloration, skin irritation, and risk of systemic absorption and toxicity, among others. Use is not recommended in children less than 2–5 years old. Use in pregnancy or breastfeeding has not been studied. It consists of a mixture of inorganic covalent compounds having an approximate empirical formulas of SeS2. Selenium disulfide acts as a keratolytic and antifungal agent.
Selenium disulfide was approved for medical use in the United States at least as early as 1951. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Selenium disulfide is available as a generic medication and over the counter.
Selenium disulfide is sold as an antifungal agent in shampoos (such as Selsun Blue) for the treatment of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis associated in the scalp with fungi of genus Malassezia. It is also used on the body to treat tinea versicolor (pityriasis versicolor), a type of fungal skin infection caused by a different species of Malassezia.
A 2015 systematic review of topical treatments for seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp identified only a single randomized controlled trial evaluating selenium disulfide for the condition. It was a three-arm trial of 246 people with moderate to severe dandruff and compared treatment with 2% ketoconazole shampoo (n=97), 2.5% selenium disulfide shampoo (n=100), and placebo (shampoo base with no antiseborrheic agent) (n=49) for 29 days. The study found a 73% reduction in dandruff score with ketoconazole, a 67% reduction with selenium disulfide, and a 45% reduction with placebo. Based on the study, the systematic review concluded that selenium disulfide may be effective in the treatment of dandruff but that the available evidence is limited and overall evidence quality is low. It also found that while selenium disulfide has infrequent side effects, it seems to have more side effects than ketoconazole shampoo. Consequently, the review concluded that selenium disulfide should not be considered as a first-line therapy but instead should be used as an alternative treatment after other therapies like ketoconazole shampoo have proven not effective.
A 2015 review recommended topical antifungal agents, topical corticosteroids, and topical calcineurin inhibitors like tacrolimus as the main treatments for seborrheic dermatitis based on good-quality evidence, rather than selenium disulfide for which evidence is much more limited. However, the review did suggest use of over-the-counter selenium disulfide shampoos as an inexpensive option for managing mild symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis.
Selenium disulfide is available in the form of a prescription drug as a 2.25% medical shampoo. In the United States, a 1% strength is available over-the-counter, and a 2.5% strength is also available with a prescription. In Canada, the 2.5% strength is available over-the-counter. Selsun Blue is an over-the-counter shampoo for dandruff with 1% selenium disulfide as its active ingredient.
Side effects of selenium disulfide shampoo for dandruff appear to be infrequent. A randomized controlled trial of 100 people who received selenium disulfide reported side effects of itching or burning sensation of the scalp (3 people), eruption near the hairline (1 person), psoriasis (1 person), lightening or bleaching of hair color (2 people), orange staining of the scalp (1 person), and a chemical taste while shampooing (1 person).
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Selenium disulfide
Selenium disulfide, also known as selenium sulfide, is a chemical compound and medication used to treat seborrheic dermatitis, dandruff, and pityriasis versicolor. It is applied to the affected area as a lotion or shampoo. Symptoms frequently return if treatment is stopped.
Side effects may include hair discoloration, skin irritation, and risk of systemic absorption and toxicity, among others. Use is not recommended in children less than 2–5 years old. Use in pregnancy or breastfeeding has not been studied. It consists of a mixture of inorganic covalent compounds having an approximate empirical formulas of SeS2. Selenium disulfide acts as a keratolytic and antifungal agent.
Selenium disulfide was approved for medical use in the United States at least as early as 1951. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Selenium disulfide is available as a generic medication and over the counter.
Selenium disulfide is sold as an antifungal agent in shampoos (such as Selsun Blue) for the treatment of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis associated in the scalp with fungi of genus Malassezia. It is also used on the body to treat tinea versicolor (pityriasis versicolor), a type of fungal skin infection caused by a different species of Malassezia.
A 2015 systematic review of topical treatments for seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp identified only a single randomized controlled trial evaluating selenium disulfide for the condition. It was a three-arm trial of 246 people with moderate to severe dandruff and compared treatment with 2% ketoconazole shampoo (n=97), 2.5% selenium disulfide shampoo (n=100), and placebo (shampoo base with no antiseborrheic agent) (n=49) for 29 days. The study found a 73% reduction in dandruff score with ketoconazole, a 67% reduction with selenium disulfide, and a 45% reduction with placebo. Based on the study, the systematic review concluded that selenium disulfide may be effective in the treatment of dandruff but that the available evidence is limited and overall evidence quality is low. It also found that while selenium disulfide has infrequent side effects, it seems to have more side effects than ketoconazole shampoo. Consequently, the review concluded that selenium disulfide should not be considered as a first-line therapy but instead should be used as an alternative treatment after other therapies like ketoconazole shampoo have proven not effective.
A 2015 review recommended topical antifungal agents, topical corticosteroids, and topical calcineurin inhibitors like tacrolimus as the main treatments for seborrheic dermatitis based on good-quality evidence, rather than selenium disulfide for which evidence is much more limited. However, the review did suggest use of over-the-counter selenium disulfide shampoos as an inexpensive option for managing mild symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis.
Selenium disulfide is available in the form of a prescription drug as a 2.25% medical shampoo. In the United States, a 1% strength is available over-the-counter, and a 2.5% strength is also available with a prescription. In Canada, the 2.5% strength is available over-the-counter. Selsun Blue is an over-the-counter shampoo for dandruff with 1% selenium disulfide as its active ingredient.
Side effects of selenium disulfide shampoo for dandruff appear to be infrequent. A randomized controlled trial of 100 people who received selenium disulfide reported side effects of itching or burning sensation of the scalp (3 people), eruption near the hairline (1 person), psoriasis (1 person), lightening or bleaching of hair color (2 people), orange staining of the scalp (1 person), and a chemical taste while shampooing (1 person).