Impacts of Dandruff Reduction on Patients’ Physical, Emotional Well-Being

Alice Newton-Fenner, PhD

Credit: LinkedIn

Physical dandruff symptom reduction through anti-dandruff shampoo may diminish negative emotions related to the scalp and hair, new findings suggest, resulting in improvements in patients’ daily functioning.¹

These findings represent the conclusion of research on assessing causal connections between emotions, behavioral function, and symptoms of dandruff. Dandruff is a common condition and a form of seborrheic dermatitis.

This study was authored by a team of investigators led by Alice Newton-Fenner, PhD, of the Unilever Research and Development Port Sunlight Laboratory in the UK. Newton-Fenner and colleagues highlighted prior research into emotional well-being and dandruff, noting the mixed messages observed in the study related to participants’ Scalpdex quality of life questionnaire responses.²

“These insights highlight the complex relationship between dandruff, psychosocial factors, and external perceptions, and warrant further investigation to gain a comprehensive understanding of these dynamics,” Newton-Fenner et al. wrote.¹

Analysis on Dandruff’s Relationship with Emotional Well-Being

A mixed-gender sample was given the opportunity to take part in a 4-week-long intervention. In this analysis, a single cohort would implement an anti-dandruff shampoo for the purposes of diminishing symptoms of dandruff, while those in the control cohort would carry on implementing their regular non-anti-dandruff shampoo.

The hypothesis established by Newton-Fenner and colleagues posited that a reduction in dandruff symptoms among those given the shampoo treatment would be correlated with improved scores in terms of psychological well-being scores. Psychological well-being among study subjects was evaluated by the team through self-reported measures at the start and end of the study’s intervention.

The investigators also integrated data that was drawn from an unpublished study involving an all-male sample and a Zinc Pyrithione-based anti-dandruff shampoo. The goal of this integration was to broaden and enhance their analysis.

Participants in the analysis were in the age range of 18–30 were recruited from China’s Xi’an region. The research team determined that their criteria for participant inclusion required patients to have basic computer literacy, to self-identify as dandruff-sufferers, to use shampoo on a regular basis, and pass a clinical assessment that would determine whether they suffered from moderate-to-severe dandruff through a Total Weighted Head Score Adherent Flakes (TWHS-AF) score of ≥28.

Among the 340 individuals that the team had recruited initially, 261 met their criteria for inclusion and were then assigned to the experimental or control arms. After 4 weeks, there had been 249 participants who completed the study, during which the experimental arm used a Piroctone Olamine shampoo, and the control arm continued utilizing their usual shampoo.

Any shifts in psychological well-being and symptoms of dandruff were assessed using various self-assessment tools, examples of which include the State Self-Esteem Scale, the Scalpdex, and a hair and scalp health questionnaire. The researchers later combined the data from the present analysis with a prior Zinc Pyrithione anti-dandruff shampoo intervention to conduct their mediation analysis.

Findings on Dandruff Symptom Reduction’s Association with Emotional Well-Being

Overall, the investigators' findings demonstrated that anti-dandruff shampoo significantly reduced dandruff symptoms and improved participant ratings of scalp health and comfort. Scalpdex scores were noted as indicating reduced symptom perception and emotional distress in the treatment arm compared to the control arm.

While dandruff’s impact on behavioral functioning diminished over time for both groups, anti-dandruff shampoo utilization was shown to have yielded greater improvements in subjects' emotional well-being and their management of related symptoms. Notably, the team found no changes in self-esteem metrics for either of the study's cohorts.

In their mediation analysis, the investigators reported that improvements in physical symptoms resulting from anti-dandruff shampoo indirectly enhanced participants' behavioral functioning, adding that scalp-related emotional well-being serving as a key mediator (P < 0.05). These findings underscore the interconnected impact of dandruff symptom reduction, emotions, and overall behavioral health.

“These studies highlight the significance of emotions in the treatment and functional outcomes of individuals with dandruff,” they wrote. “Going forward, it is crucial to prioritize scalp and hair-related emotional wellbeing in anti-dandruff product development to improve long-term, sustainable results for individuals with chronic dermatological conditions.”¹

References

1. ^{Newton-Fenner A, Roberts H, Scott M, Jones T, Collins L, Godbehere A, et al. Clear scalp, clear mind: Examining the beneficial impact of dandruff reduction on physical, emotional and social wellbeing. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2025; 00: 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1111/ics.13041.}
2. ^{Chen SC, Yeung J, Chren M-M. Scalpdex: a quality-of-life instrument for scalp dermatitis. Arch Dermatol. 2002; 138(6): 803–807.}