Selenium sulfide
You don't need to be Editor-In-Chief to add or edit content to WikiDoc. You can begin to add to or edit text on this WikiDoc page by clicking on the edit button at the top of this page. Next enter or edit the information that you would like to appear here. Once you are done editing, scroll down and click the Save page button at the bottom of the page.
| Image:Selenium sulfide.png | |
| Selenium sulfide
| |
| Systematic (IUPAC) name | |
| Selenium(II) sulfide | |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | |
| ATC code | D01 |
| PubChem | |
| DrugBank | |
| Chemical data | |
| Formula | SSe |
| Mol. mass | 111.026 g/mol |
| Pharmacokinetic data | |
| Bioavailability | ? |
| Metabolism | ? |
| Half life | ? |
| Excretion | ? |
| Therapeutic considerations | |
| Pregnancy cat. |
? |
| Legal status | |
| Routes | ? |
Selenium sulfide (also selenium sulphide; see spelling) is an antifungal agent often used in shampoos for the treatment of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. In the United States, a 1% strength is available over-the-counter, and a 2.5% strength is also available with a prescription. At the 2.5% strength, selenium sulfide is also used on the body to treat tinea versicolor, a type of fungal skin infection.
It can be used for adults and children over the age of 5. It should be used twice a week for the first two weeks then once a week for the next two weeks.
Selenium can cause discoloration of the hair and alter the color of hair dyes. It may also discolor metallic jewellery. It should not be used in the first 3 months of pregnancy.
Cultural references
In the 2001 film Evolution, selenium sulfide, as the active ingredient in Head & Shoulders anti-dandruff shampoo, is used to fight the alien menace, on the faulty logic that because arsenic is poisonous to carbon-based humans, selenium must be poisonous to the nitrogen-based aliens, due to their respective positions in the periodic table. However, selenium itself is toxic to humans.
See also
- Zinc pyrithione, an antimicrobial agent used in some medicated shampoos, which can be used by all patients of any age. It should be used daily until the dandruff has gone.
 | This antimicrobial-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Antifungals (D01 and J02) | |
|---|---|
| Antibiotics | Griseofulvin • polyene antimycotics (Natamycin, Nystatin) |
| Topical azoles | imidazoles (Bifonazole, Clomidazole, Clotrimazole, Econazole, Fenticonazole, Ketoconazole, Isoconazole, Miconazole, Oxiconazole, Sertaconazole, Sulconazole, Tioconazole) • triazoles (Fluconazole) • benzimidazole (Thiabendazole) |
| Other topicals | Ciclopirox • Ethylparaben • Flucytosine • Salicylic acid • Selenium sulfide • Tolnaftate • Undecylenic acid • allylamines (Amorolfine, Butenafine, Naftifine, Terbinafine) |
| For systemic use | Griseofulvin • allylamine (Terbinafine) • polyene antimycotic (Amphotericin B) • triazoles (Itraconazole, Posaconazole, Voriconazole) • echinocandins (Anidulafungin, Caspofungin, Micafungin) |
| Other | Tea tree oil • citronella oil • lemon grass • orange oil • patchouli • lemon myrtle |
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
