Abstract

• The composition of skin surface lipids of scalp was studied by thin-layer chromatography and photodensitometry in 10 normal adult males.
  The results are as follows:
  1) In each of the subjects, the scalp skin surface lipids were composed of cholesterol, free fatty acid. triglyceride, wax ester, steryl ester, squalene and saturated hydrocarbon.
  2) The average value of cholesterol was 3.0±0.78%, and free fatty acid 26.9±6.61%, triglyceride 18.4±6.62%. wax ester 24.3±4.58%. steryl ester 3.2±2.64%, squalene 17.1±2.67%, hydrocarbon 6.6±12.54%.
  3) Free fatty acid/triglyceride ratio was 1.68±0.76.
  4) Epidermal lipid(cholesterol+steryl ester)/sebaceous lipid(wax ester+squalene) ratio was 0.15±0.06.
  These data show the distinctive feature of scalp skin surface lipids, namely the high sebaceous lipids content and low concentration of epidermal lipids.