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GSK's Betnovate Scalp Application, often called Betnovate scalp lotion, uses betamethasone valerate to treat scalp psoriasis, seborrhoeic dermatitis and the inflammation that can come with severe dandruff. Order online after a consultation with our GPhC-registered pharmacist prescribers.
Check before you start: an infected scalp (weeping, crusting, pus or increasing soreness) needs a pharmacist or GP, not a steroid. If your skin quickly turns red and white pus-filled bumps appear and join together, especially with a high temperature or feeling hot and shivery, call 999 or go to A&E. Do the same for a severe allergic reaction, such as a swollen face, lips or tongue or trouble breathing. The liquid is flammable – no smoking, flames or hairdryer while it dries.
Order before 3pm — same-day dispatch (MON - FRI)
~5 min consultation
Secure & confidential · Reviewed by a UK prescriber
Suitable age
18 years +
Max per order
2 bottles
Consultation
Included in the price
Betnovate Scalp Application is the scalp version of GSK's Betnovate range. Each bottle contains betamethasone valerate 0.122% w/w, equivalent to 0.1% betamethasone, in a liquid you apply straight onto the scalp through the nozzle. The pack label describes it as a strong steroid: it calms the inflammation that causes redness, itching and scaling.
Its licence covers steroid-responsive scalp conditions such as scalp psoriasis and seborrhoeic dermatitis, and inflammation that comes with severe dandruff. For scalp psoriasis, NICE recommends a potent steroid applied once daily for up to 4 weeks as the first treatment.
You need a prescription. Our GPhC-registered pharmacist prescribers review your online consultation, asking about your scalp, your health and the medicines you take, including ritonavir or itraconazole, which interact with steroids, and any other steroid treatment.
In brief: apply a thin layer to a dry scalp, morning and night as the leaflet directs, or once a day if your prescriber advises, cutting down to once a day or less as things improve, and let it dry without a hairdryer. Your prescriber will normally review progress after up to 4 weeks. Our step-by-step guide to applying Betnovate Scalp covers technique in detail, and Betnovate for dandruff and scalp psoriasis explains which conditions it suits. The leaflet in the pack has the full instructions.
| Brand / licence holder | Betnovate – GSK (Glaxo Wellcome UK Ltd) |
| Contains | Betamethasone valerate 0.122% w/w (0.1% betamethasone) |
| Steroid strength | Strong (potent) |
| Format | 100ml bottle, nozzle applicator |
| Bottles per order | 1, 2 or 3 |
| Price | From £18.99 (consultation and prescription included) |
| Licensed uses | Scalp psoriasis, seborrhoeic dermatitis, severe dandruff with inflammation |
| Usual use | Morning and night, then once daily or less |
| Flammable | Yes – no hairdryer, flames or smoking while it dries |
| Licence age | From 1 year (courses limited to 5 days under age 12); we supply adults only |
| Status | Prescription-only medicine (POM) |
Scalp steroids come in different strengths, and your prescriber picks one based on how severe the condition is and what you have already tried.
Strong (potent): Betnovate Scalp Application (betamethasone valerate); Betacap Scalp Application, which has the same active ingredient at the same strength; and Elocon Scalp Lotion (mometasone furoate), applied once a day.
Very potent: Dermovate Scalp Application (clobetasol propionate), normally for short courses when other treatments have not worked well enough; and Etrivex Shampoo, a clobetasol shampoo for moderate scalp psoriasis in adults that is left on for 15 minutes before rinsing.
Combination: Dovobet Gel pairs a steroid with calcipotriol, a vitamin D-like medicine, for scalp psoriasis in adults.
Non-steroid: ketoconazole shampoo treats the yeast involved in dandruff and seborrhoeic dermatitis, and is often the first step for those conditions.
A single 100ml bottle is £18.99, two bottles are £34.99 and three are £39.99. That price covers the online consultation and the prescription itself, so there is nothing extra to pay for them. We only supply it if our prescriber agrees it is right for you.
Yes. It is a prescription-only medicine, so a pharmacist cannot sell it to you without one. You can get a prescription from your GP, or by completing our online consultation, which is reviewed by a GPhC-registered pharmacist prescriber. Milder dandruff treatments, such as coal tar or salicylic acid shampoos, and ketoconazole shampoo from a pharmacy, do not need one.
High street chemists such as Boots can supply Betnovate Scalp Application only when you hand in a prescription for it. Marketplace listings that sell it without a prescription, on sites such as Amazon or eBay, are not a legal source, because a prescription-only medicine must be supplied by a registered pharmacy against a valid prescription. An online pharmacy like Access Doctor can arrange the prescription and supply in one step.
Choose how many bottles you need, then complete a short consultation about your scalp, health and medicines. One of our pharmacist prescribers reviews it and, if suitable, issues the prescription. Orders approved before 3pm on weekdays are dispatched the same day in plain packaging, and you choose a delivery option at checkout.
It treats inflamed scalp conditions that respond to steroids, such as scalp psoriasis and seborrhoeic dermatitis. It is also licensed for the inflammation that can come with severe dandruff. It reduces redness, itching and scaling, but does not cure the underlying condition.
They all contain betamethasone valerate at the same strength, but they are different products. Betnovate Scalp Application, which many people call Betnovate scalp lotion, comes in a bottle with a nozzle for applying through the hair. Betnovate Lotion is a separate product for larger or hairy areas of skin, and the cream and ointment are for the skin rather than the scalp. Use only the product you were prescribed, and only on the area it was prescribed for.
Other prescription options include another strong steroid such as Elocon Scalp Lotion or Betacap Scalp Application, a very potent steroid such as Dermovate Scalp Application or Etrivex Shampoo, or Dovobet Gel, which combines a steroid with a vitamin D-like medicine. For dandruff and seborrhoeic dermatitis, ketoconazole shampoo is often tried first. Your prescriber will advise which suits you.
It is licensed for inflammation associated with severe dandruff, not for everyday flaking. Ordinary dandruff usually responds to medicated shampoos such as ketoconazole, coal tar or salicylic acid. If your scalp is red, itchy and inflamed despite these, a prescriber can check whether a steroid such as Betnovate Scalp Application is appropriate.
Burning, pain, irritation or itching where it is applied may affect up to 1 in 10 people. Very rarely it can cause an allergic skin reaction or a form of psoriasis with pus-filled bumps, which means stopping and contacting a doctor straight away. Thinning skin and effects on the body's own steroid hormones are also very rare, and more likely with long-term or widespread use. Report blurred vision to a doctor.
Do not use it if your scalp is infected, or if you are allergic to betamethasone valerate or anything else in it. It must not be used for children under 1 year, and we only supply it to adults. Tell your prescriber if you take ritonavir or itraconazole, which can increase the amount of steroid in your body.
Only if your doctor or prescriber decides the benefit to you outweighs any risk to the baby. Ask for advice before using it if you are pregnant, could be pregnant, are planning a pregnancy or are breastfeeding.
If you have been using it regularly, check with your prescriber first, because the leaflet warns your condition may get worse if it is stopped suddenly. You may be advised to use it less often before stopping. After long-term use, topical steroids can occasionally cause withdrawal reactions, most often a flare of the original condition.
Yes, your GP can prescribe it, or a similar steroid scalp treatment, if suitable. In England an NHS prescription charge applies unless you qualify for free prescriptions; in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland prescriptions are free. Ordering privately online is an alternative if you prefer not to wait for a GP appointment.
Helpful articles and clinical guides related to this treatment category.
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