Salicylic Acid and Sulfur (Topical)

Brand Names : Essential Care Creamy Dandruff Shampoo, Essential Care Maximum Strength Dandruff Shampoo, Essential Care Medicated Dandruff Wash, Meted, Pernox (Lemon), Pernox (Regular), Pernox Lathering Abradant Scrub Cleanser (Fresh Scent), Sebex, Sebulex (Regular), Sebulex (with Conditioners), SAStid Soap, Sebulex

Before Using This Medicine

If you are using this medicine without a prescription, carefully read and follow any precautions on the label. For salicylic acid and sulfur combination, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to salicylic acid or sulfur. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as preservatives or dyes.

Pregnancy - Salicylic acid and sulfur combination has not been studied in pregnant women. However, for the individual medicines:

• Salicylic acid - Salicylic acid may be absorbed through the mother's skin. Studies with topical salicylic acid have not been done in humans. However, studies in animals have shown that salicylic acid causes birth defects when given orally in doses about six times the highest dose recommended for topical use in humans.
• Sulfur - Topical sulfur has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in humans.

Before using this medicine, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

Breast-feeding - Salicylic acid may be absorbed through the mother's skin. However, topical salicylic acid and sulfur combination has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children - Young children may be at increased risk of unwanted effects because of increased absorption of salicylic acid through the skin. Products containing salicylic acid should not be applied to large areas of the body or used for long periods of time in infants and children.

Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of salicylic acid and sulfur combination in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are using any other topical prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine that is to be applied to the same area of the skin.