Background: Coal tar has been a very popular traditional treatment for various types of psoriasis for over a century. It is the first-line treatment for scalp, hand, and foot psoriasis. However, the application of coal tar on hair invariably causes staining, which results in a high degree of patient non-compliance, especially in patients with non-black hair. Thus, the treatment of scalp psoriasis with a topical coal tar formulation requires that special concern be paid to product esthetics.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the hair-staining characteristics of a novel lecithinized coal tar (LCT) formulation on different types of mammalian hair.
Methods: Samples of hair from different mammals, including human, sheep, rabbit, and goat, were repeatedly exposed to the LCT formulation over 14 days. The color of hair samples treated with LCT was compared with that of untreated control hair samples.
Results: The study revealed the distinct non-staining potential of the LCT formulation.
Conclusions: This LCT formulation lacks the propensity to stain hair and thus has excellent potential to be exploited in the treatment of scalp psoriasis.
© 2011 The International Society of Dermatology.