Integumentary System
Lesson 5: Dermatological Drugs
5-10
5-10. SKIN CLEANSING
a. Wet Dressings.
(1) Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts). This drug, although normally used to flush poisons out of the human body, can also be used in a bath or a soak to cleanse the skin and to relieve pain.
(2) Aluminum acetate or Burrow's solution (Domeboro®). This medication is similar to boric acid but more drying. Bur-Veen®, Domeboro®, and Soy-Boro® are commercial products of this medication. This medication is good to apply to a skin lesion when the eruption needs to drain.
(3) Potassium permanganate. This medication may be prescribed in water or in normal saline solution. It is used in inflammatory, superficial infections and is applied to the skin lesion then covered by a wet dressing. Although soothing to the affected area, the medication leaves a brown stain on the skin. Dalidome may be used instead of potassium permanganate. Dalidome is a nonstaining preparation.
b. Soaps and Shampoos.
(1) Superfatted soaps. Use these soaps when the skin is extra dry. Elderly people often need such soap.
(2) Neutral soaps or soap substitutes, medicated soaps. Oilatum soap, a neutral soap containing peanut oil, is used when regular soaps produce excessive dryness and irritation. For oily skins, use Fostex® cake, Lava® soap, or Acne-Aid® detergent soap. Gamophen® and Mycoderm® are examples of medicated soaps. Soap substitutes are used for cleansing the skin when soap is too irritating. Soap substitutes include Lowilacake®, Acidolate®, pHisoderm®, and pHisoHex®.
(3) Medicated shampoos. A variety of medicated shampoos fight skin problems on the scalp: Capsebon®, Sebulex®, Betadine®, Domerine®, Fostex®, and Alvinine®. Kwell® is a shampoo used to treat pediculosis capitis, Phthirus, and their nits. Wet the hair with warm water, apply the shampoo as you would any shampoo, and allow the lather to stay on the scalp for at least 5 minutes. These shampoos leave the hair soft and have a pleasant odor. Only one application of KwellR is necessary when it is used to treat pediculosis and Phthirus.
