title: Specular light reflectance of flakes in seborrhoeic dermatitis of the scalp: a pilot study.
abstract: Seborrhoeic dermatitis and dandruff are common scalp conditions. In this study, we set out to explore a new method for rating both the severity of the scalp condition and the efficacy of scalp-care compounds. Scalp flakiness was sampled for 40 volunteers using adhesive-coated clear discs, with image analysis used to quantify the specular light reflectance (SLR) of the flakes Two ultraviolet (UV)-emitting charge-coupled device cameras (Visioscan VC98 and Visiopor PP34) were used. SLR clearly highlighted the flakiness with high contrast against a black background, and the recorded appearance could be conveniently submitted to the image-analysis system for quantification. In conclusion, SLR under UV illumination highlights scalp flakiness, allowing objective measurements.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Skin Bioengineering and Imaging, Department of Dermatopathology, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piérard-Franchimont
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Quatresooz
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Piérard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D012628:Dermatitis, Seborrheic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010781:Photography; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012536:Scalp Dermatoses / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D055815:Young Adult