Scalp microbiome of healthy women wearing hijab compared to those not wearing hijab: a cross-sectional study.

Use of hijab can influence the scalp's condition, including its microbiome. To date there has been no study comparing scalp microbiome in women wearing hijab to that in women not wearing hijab. This was a cross-sectional study conducted from August 2019 to April 2021. Healthy women aged 18 years old or older who had not undergone menopause were recruited. Those in the hijab group should wear hijab minimum 8 h a day for at least 5 years. After wash-out period, the sample was collected from the subject's scalp. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) was performed with primer V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA and ITS1 DNA for bacteria and fungi, respectively. Alpha diversity and beta diversity were identified, along with functional analysis. Actinobacteria and Ascomycota were the most dominant phyla on the scalp. S. capitis was more prominent in the hijab group while S. cohnii was more prominent in non-hijab group. Additionally, M. restricta was more common in hijab group while M. globosa was more common in non-hijab group. This study emphasizes the difference of scalp microbiome in women wearing hijab compared to women not wearing hijab, which indicated that women wearing hijab are more prone to seborrheic dermatitis.

The mycological efficacy and safety of selenium sulfide 1.8% versus ketoconazole 2% shampoo in pityriasis versicolor: A double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Although it has long been used as a topical treatment of pityriasis versicolor (PV), the efficacy of topical selenium disulfide as compared to topical ketoconazole in the treatment of PV remains unclear. This study aims to assess the mycological efficacy and safety of SeS2 1.8% shampoo and ketoconazole 2% shampoo for the treatment of PV. Methods: A double-blind randomized controlled trial was performed in patients with PV during September-December 2018, based on block randomization. Physical examinations, scale provocation test, Wood's lamp, and potassium hydroxide examination were conducted. Intention to treat analysis was performed to evaluate the mycological efficacy. Results: The mycological efficacy and side effect were not significantly different between the ketoconazole group and the selenium group; 94% vs 86% (RR=2.3(95%CI 0.6-8.5), p=0.182), and 22% versus 8%. Conclusions: SeS2 1.8% has the same mycological efficacy and side effect as compared to ketoconazole 2% in the treatment of PV.