# Do these ingredients in Scalpacin merely act as a palliative?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-ingredients-in-scalpacin-merely-act-as-a-palliative/110936>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 26, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-ingredients-in-scalpacin-merely-act-as-a-palliative/110936 "2002-05-26T17:27:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-ingredients-in-scalpacin-merely-act-as-a-palliative/110936/1 "2002-05-26T17:27:53Z")

</div>

My scalp is irritated from using Rogaine and so when I saw “Scalpacin,” an anti-itch medication, I decided to try it. The active ingredient is salycylic acid. Is this just acting like a topical aspirin or is it working in some other way, perhaps as a sloughing agent? I’m concerned because the other ingredients make me wary of it being curative - Alcohol sd 40 and menthol which I know will ultimately irritate my scalp. Any biochemists out there?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-ingredients-in-scalpacin-merely-act-as-a-palliative/110936/2 "2002-05-26T18:16:39Z")

</div>

AFAIK, the salicylic acid helps remove flaky skin. It’s not anti-inflammatory. Salicylic acid is also the active ingredient in wart removal preparations.

If your scalp is irritated from rogaine, a short course of a mid-potency topical steroid is in order. Something like lidex, probably.

My advice is to see your general MD and have them look at it. Even better, see a dermatologist.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2002, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-ingredients-in-scalpacin-merely-act-as-a-palliative/110936/3 "2002-05-26T19:14:17Z")

</div>

while i think that all salycylic acids relieve pain to some degree, only acetylsalycylic acid is used as aspirin. plain ol’ salycylic acid is used in a number of over-the-counter dermatological applications. as **choosybeggar** pointed out, it’s in wart removers, as well as some acne face preparations and psoriasis cremes.

my guess is that it counteracts the inflammatory response somewhat, as well as helps with the sloughing of dead tissue (seems to soften and loosen).

jb

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2002, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-ingredients-in-scalpacin-merely-act-as-a-palliative/110936/4 "2002-05-26T19:16:57Z")

</div>

damn. i misspelled ‘salicylic’ all throughout.

i least i got most of aspirin.