Sodium hydroxide is also known as lye or soda , or caustic soda . At room temperature, sodium hydroxide is a white crystalline odorless solid that absorbs moisture from the... It is a synthetically manufactured substance.
- Mechanism
- Curator reviewed · 2 references
Because of its high-level alkalinity, sodium hydroxide in aqueous solution directly causes bond breakage in proteins (especially disulfide bridges). Hair and fingernails are found to be dissolved after 20 hours of direct contact with sodium hydroxide at pH values higher than 9.2.
Sodium hydroxide has depilatory effects which have been described after accidental contact with solutions in the workplace. The breakage of bonds in proteins may lead to severe necrosis to the application site. The level of corrosion depends on the period of contact with the tissue, and on the concentration of sodium hydroxide.
- Primary indication
- Used to destroy or kill the nail matrix (matrixectomies).Curator reviewed · 5 structured indications
- Formula / weight
- HNaO · 39.9971 g/mol (avg)
- First approval
- Canada, 1999
- Also known as
- caustic soda · soda lye · sodium hydrate · white caustic
- Code names
- E-524 · INS-524 · NSC-135799
Resolves to
HEMHJVSKTPXQMS-UHFFFAOYSA-MSMILES[OH-].[Na+]What you can answer from here — as of August 18, 2026
Which drugs share a target with Sodium hydroxide, and which of those have an active Phase 3 trial?
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