The Clinical Effects of Salicylic Acid
Share
The use of Salicylic acid in dermatology has long shown to be beneficial in assisting skin cell proliferation, providing a better opportunity for essential vitamins, minerals and fats to penetrate deeper layers of the skin. This assists with rejuvenation of damaged and pathological skin conditions.
Removing overlying thick and unhealthy skin is an important step in the process of repairing skin conditions. It is often referred to as chemical peeling, and salicylic acid falls into this category.
Chemical peeling is a safe, effective and economical procedure for treating various skin disorders and to enhance cosmetic appearance. The process involves controlled chemical injury to the skin to prompt exfoliation and rejuvenation. The process removes superficial layers of the skin, regenerates new epidermal and dermal tissues, which ultimately smoothens and improves the skin (1 and 2).
Salicylic acid has been used topically to treat various skin disorders for more than 2,000 years (3). In the first century AD, Pliny used willow bark (as a source of Salicylic acid) to treat calluses and corns. Buchner, Brugnatelle, and Fontana isolated salicin from willow bark in the late 1820s, which was later refined by Leroux. The ability of Salicylic acid to soften and exfoliate the stratum corneum was discovered in the 1860s (4). Paul Gerson Unna, a German dermatologist, is credited with describing the properties and use of Salicylic acid. Being a comedolytic agent, Salicylic acid is used in many topical acne preparations. It is also known to enhance the penetration of other topical agents (5).
Salicylic acid is also a safe and effective peeling agent for a number of dermatological and cosmetic problems, including acne vulgaris, melasma, photodamage, freckles, and lentigines. It can be safely used in dark skin types.
- Rendon Mi, Berson DS, Cohen JI, Roberts WE, Starker I, Wang B. Evidence and considerations in the application of chemical peels in skin disorders and aesthetic resurfacing. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2010;3:32–43. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Khunger N. Standard guidelines of care for chemical peels. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2008;74:S5–S12. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lin AN, Nakatsui T. Salicylic acid revisited. Int J Dermatol. 1998;37:335–342. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Draelos ZD. Rediscovering the cutaneous benefits of salicylic acid. Cosm Derm. 1997;10(Suppl 4):4. [Google Scholar]
- Grimes PE. Salicylic acid. In: Tosti A, Grimes PE, Padova MP, editors. Color Atlas of Chemical Peels. 2nd ed. New York, NY, USA: Springer-Verlag; 2006. [Google Scholar]
To read the full paper in which this information was sourced from, click the below link.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4554394/
Case Study:
The below is an abstract outlining a case study of a 43 years old woman who treated dryness and scaling on the heels of her feet with a salicylic acid cream formulation.
Hyperkeratosis of the heels: treatment with salicylic acid in a novel delivery system
Joseph Bikowski
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15538090/
Abstract
A 43-year-old woman presented with dryness and scaling of the lateral and posterior aspects of both heels, which was diagnosed as hyperkeratotic xerosis. Pertinent medical history included dry skin with winter exacerbation and painful hyperkeratosis of the heels present for many years. The patient applied a topical multivesicular cream formulation of 6% salicylic add (Salex, Healthpoint Ltd., Fort Worth, TX) to one foot twice a day. The physician was blinded as to which foot was treated. After 2 weeks of treatment, it was apparent that the patient was applying the cream to the right foot, as evidenced by reduced dryness, scaling, and hyperkeratosis.
The patient continued treatment of the same foot for an additional 2 weeks, revealing a dramatic improvement of the right heel, which appeared smooth and soft and devoid of pain. No irritation was associated with treatment; the patient commented that this was the best her heel had been "in years." Subsequently, the patient treated both heels with salicylic acid 60%, multivesicular cream. A second patient, a 25-year-old woman, was treated for ichthyosis vulgaris and hyperkeratosis of both heels. She presented with multiple painful fissures and hyperkeratosis of the posterior heels bilaterally. After 1 week of topical treatment with salicylic add 6%, multivesicular cream applied twice a day to the left heel only, there was rapid resolution of both hyperkeratosis and pain.