Comparative anti-dandruff efficacy between a tar and a non-tar shampoo

A randomized double-blind clinical study was conducted on two groups of 30 volunteers using either a non-tar shampoo (2% salicylic acid, 0.75% pirocto ne olamine and 0.5% elubiol) or a 0.5% coal tar shampoo. Subjects were diag nosed as having moderate to marked dandruff. The study consisted of a 3-wee k washout, followed by a 4-week treatment and a 4-week posttreatment regres sion phase. The clinical evaluations and subject self-assessments showed th at the non-tar shampoo was as effective as the tar shampoo. Both received h igh approval ratings (greater than or equal to 70%). Biometrological method s proved to be more sensitive than clinical evaluations to assess the effic acy of the shampoos. The non-tar shampoo yielded a significantly better red uction of Malassezia spp. counts (p < 0.02) during the treatment phase and reduced the spontaneous increase in squamometry values (p < 0.01) during th e posttreatment phase. It is concluded that a formulation associating salic ylic acid, piroctone olamine and elubiol exhibited increased beneficial eff ects compared to the coal tar shampoo. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Bas el.