The bacterial and fungal communities associated with dandruff were investigated using culture-independent methodologies in the French subjects. The major bacterial and fungal species inhabiting the scalp subject’s were identified by cloning and sequencing of the conserved ribosomal unit regions (16S for bacterial and 28S-ITS for fungal) and were further quantified by quantitative PCR. The two main bacterial species found on the scalp surface were Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, while Malassezia restricta was the main fungal inhabitant. Dandruff was correlated with a higher incidence of M. restricta and S. epidermidis and a lower incidence of P. acnes compared to the control population (p<0.05). These results suggested for the first time using molecular methods, that dandruff is linked to the balance between bacteria and fungi of the host scalp surface.

Dandruff is a common but complex disorder with three major contributing factors: (1) individual predisposition, (2) scalp sebum and (3) Malassezia yeast colonization. To obtain further insights into the role of sebum in dandruff biogenesis, we analyzed scalp lipid species in a cohort of ten dandruff-free (control) and ten dandruff-afflicted volunteers by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Lipid peroxidation levels and biochemical markers of oxidative stress were also assessed. Squalene, a major sebum component, was significantly more peroxidized in dandruff-affected scalps, resulting in significantly higher ratios of squalene monohydroperoxide (SQOOH)/squalene. This was observed when comparing dandruff-affected zones of dandruff subjects to both their non-affected zones and control subjects. In addition, other biomarkers such as malondialdehyde indicated that oxidative stress levels were raised on dandruff scalps. Surprisingly, differences regarding either free or bound fatty acids were fairly rare and minor. Certain novel findings, especially squalene peroxidation levels, were then confirmed in a validation cohort of 24 dandruff-affected subjects, by comparing dandruff-affected and non-dandruff zones from the same individuals. As SQOOH can induce both keratinocyte inflammatory responses and hyperproliferation in vitro, we hypothesized that increased SQOOH could be considered as a new etiological dandruff factor via its ability to impair scalp barrier function. Our results also indicated that Malassezia could be a major source of squalene peroxidation on the scalp.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00403-016-1623-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The bacterial and fungal communities associated with dandruff were investigated using culture-independent methodologies in the French subjects. The major bacterial and fungal species inhabiting the scalp subject's were identified by cloning and sequencing of the conserved ribosomal unit regions (16S for bacterial and 28S-ITS for fungal) and were further quantified by quantitative PCR. The two main bacterial species found on the scalp surface were Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, while Malassezia restricta was the main fungal inhabitant. Dandruff was correlated with a higher incidence of M. restricta and S. epidermidis and a lower incidence of P. acnes compared to the control population (p,0.05). These results suggested for the first time using molecular methods, that dandruff is linked to the balance between bacteria and fungi of the host scalp surface.

This study has shown close agreement between sensorial and instrumental findings, and also illustrates how the women participating can subtly and adequately describe their own hair. It is important to note that the words 'fine hair' describes a lot more than just physically thin hair fibres. Ageing is an additional factor that clearly impacts certain parameters associated with 'fine hair' among the volunteers.

With ageing, some few functional and structural changes are observed in the scalp of Caucasian women. Similarities or differences with those previously reported in other skin sites are discussed.