Human study PLS-00029

An Assessment of the Safety, Efficacy, and Tolerability of a Novel Scalp Treatment Regimen Combining a Hydroxy Acid-Based Scrub and Copper Tripeptide Serum in the Management of Seborrheic Dermatitis in Adults.

Single-arm trial · Not reported participants enrolled

Version 1 · published November 7, 2026 · evidence through November 7, 2026 · research snapshot 2026.1.1 · methodology ev-1 · Automated assessment by AI (claude-opus-5-5 and claude-sonnet-5-5), not reviewed by a person.

Only the abstract was available. Essential methods may be missing, which limits what can be judged.

Reports of this study

Every publication, registration and abstract describing this one study. Participants are counted once.

An Assessment of the Safety, Efficacy, and Tolerability of a Novel Scalp Treatment Regimen Combining a Hydroxy Acid-Based Scrub and Copper Tripeptide Serum in the Management of Seborrheic Dermatitis in Adults.primary · Cureus · 2024-09-24 · PMID 39449909 · DOI

Design and participants

Design: Single-arm trial
Population: Adults with mild to moderate scalp dandruff / seborrheic dermatitis
Conditions: Seborrheic dermatitis, Scalp dandruff
Setting: Single-center, prospective, interventional, open-label study
Planned enrollment (registry): Not reported
Enrolled: Not reported
Randomized: Not reported
Completed follow-up: Not reported
Funding: Not stated
Authors’ conflicts: Not stated

Intervention and comparator

What each group received. Related peptides, analogs and combinations are never treated as the compound itself.

Scalp scrub plus copper tripeptide serum regimen (intervention) · ghk-cu (combination) · Hydroxy acid-based scalp scrub combined with a serum containing copper tripeptide-1, witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), hesperidin, hyaluronic acid and pea protein (Pisum sativum) · Topical (scalp) · 15 days · Not reported assigned

What the authors reported

As stated in the sources. This is the authors’ account, not Peptide Library’s assessment.

Adherent Scalp Flaking Score (ASFS)

unclear outcome · patient-important · Day 1, day 8, day 15 · ASFS scale for adherent scalp flaking

Scalp scrub plus copper tripeptide serum regimen: change from baseline 61.24 — Significant improvement of 61.24% in adherent scalp flaking per ASFS (p-value truncated in abstract)

Scalp hydration

unclear outcome · surrogate · Over 15-day treatment period · Corneometer CM 825

No results reported.

Hair thickness

unclear outcome · surrogate · Over 15-day treatment period · Not described in abstract

No results reported.

Hair density

unclear outcome · surrogate · Over 15-day treatment period · Not described in abstract

No results reported.

Scalp condition

unclear outcome · surrogate · Over 15-day treatment period · CASLite Nova imaging

No results reported.

Scalp appearance and treatment usage perception

unclear outcome · patient-important · Day 1, day 8, day 15 · Perception evaluation (instrument not described)

No results reported.

Safety and in-use tolerability

unclear outcome · safety · Over 15-day treatment period · Not described in abstract

No results reported.

Adverse events

None reported. That is not evidence of safety.

Monitoring: The abstract states that safety and in-use tolerability were assessed. It does not describe the methods or report any adverse event results.

The authors concluded (paraphrased): The authors concluded that the scrub plus copper tripeptide serum regimen improved hydration and overall scalp health over 15 days. They state it cleared visible flakes, reduced adherent scalp flaking, rejuvenated the scalp and strengthened hair.

Peptide Library’s assessment

An automated assessment, made by AI separately from the authors’ conclusions and not reviewed by a person. How risk of bias is assessed.

Limitations

no control group: Single-group open-label study with no vehicle or comparator arm, so improvements cannot be attributed to treatment.
other: Multi-ingredient regimen (hydroxy acid scrub plus serum with several actives), so any effect of GHK-Cu cannot be isolated.
inadequate blinding: Open-label design, so ratings of flaking and scalp appearance may be influenced by knowledge of the treatment.
short follow up: Treatment and follow-up lasted only 15 days, too short to judge durable effects or longer-term safety.
abstract only: Only a truncated abstract is available. Sample size, p-values and safety results are missing from the record.
small or imprecise: Number of participants is not reported, so the precision of the reported 61.24% improvement cannot be assessed.
funding or conflicts: Funding and conflicts of interest are not reported for a study of a commercial cosmetic regimen.
confounding: The regimen combines a hydroxy acid scrub with a multi-ingredient serum, so effects cannot be attributed to copper tripeptide alone.
inappropriate population: Participants had dandruff, not photoaged skin.

Adherent Scalp Flaking Score (ASFS): Serious concern (Structured limitations appraisal)

For uncontrolled studies, case series and case reports, where no validated comparative tool applies. It lists limitations; it is not a risk-of-bias rating.

Domain judgments
Control group	Serious concern	Single-arm open-label study with no comparator, so natural fluctuation or regression of dandruff cannot be excluded.
Selection of participants	Not reported	The abstract does not describe recruitment, eligibility criteria beyond mild to moderate dandruff, or the number enrolled.
Confounding	Serious concern	Multiple active ingredients and seasonal or environmental factors could explain the change; none were controlled.
Follow-up and attrition	Not reported	The abstract gives no numbers enrolled, completed or analyzed, so attrition cannot be judged.
Outcome measurement	Serious concern	ASFS is an assessor-rated scale applied in an open-label study, so assessor knowledge of treatment may bias ratings.
Completeness of reporting	Some concern	Many outcomes were measured but the abstract reports a numeric result only for ASFS, and the p-value is truncated.
Precision	Not reported	No sample size or confidence interval for the ASFS change appears in the record.
Funding and conflicts of interest	Not reported	The abstract record gives no funding or conflict of interest information for this cosmetic product study.

Uncontrolled open-label study of a multi-ingredient regimen with an assessor-rated outcome. Sample size and attrition are unreported, so the reported improvement is at serious risk of bias.

Version 1 · published November 7, 2026 · evidence through November 7, 2026 · research snapshot 2026.1.1 · methodology ev-1 · Peptide Library structured appraisal pl-1 · Automated assessment by AI (claude-opus-5-5 and claude-sonnet-5-5), not reviewed by a person.

Claims this study informs

Improves signs of skin aging: not eligible (wrong population) for “Wrinkles and skin quality, measured or rated”
Is safe for human use: eligible for “Adverse events, including skin reactions”, indirect evidence

Very low certainty Adverse events, including skin reactions

Where each value comes from

arms: PMID 39449909, abstract (Background and objective, sentence 3) · extracted by AI (automated, not verified by a person) · abstract only
author_conclusion: PMID 39449909, abstract (Results/conclusion, final sentences) · extracted by AI (automated, not verified by a person) · abstract only
design: PMID 39449909, abstract (Methods, sentence 1) · extracted by AI (automated, not verified by a person) · abstract only
limitations: PMID 39449909, abstract (Methods, sentence 1) · extracted by AI (automated, not verified by a person) · abstract only
outcomes: PMID 39449909, abstract (Methods, sentences 3-4) · extracted by AI (automated, not verified by a person) · abstract only
participants: PMID 39449909, abstract (Methods (numbers not reported)) · extracted by AI (automated, not verified by a person) · abstract only
population: PMID 39449909, abstract (Methods, sentence 1) · extracted by AI (automated, not verified by a person) · abstract only
results: PMID 39449909, abstract (Results, sentence 1) · extracted by AI (automated, not verified by a person) · abstract only

Version 1 · published November 7, 2026 · evidence through November 7, 2026 · research snapshot 2026.1.1 · methodology ev-1 · Automated assessment by AI (claude-opus-5-5 and claude-sonnet-5-5), not reviewed by a person.

These assessments describe published research. Records marked automated were produced by AI under the published methodology and have not been reviewed by a person; they can contain errors. None of this is medical advice, not a statement about any product’s safety for human use, and not a regulatory approval. Peptide Library’s vendor and partner relationships play no part in them (editorial independence).