Ancient Ayurvedic scholars have given due importance to various forms and routes of administration. This was probably because one can able to administer medicines as per convenience, from the nearest route, to get speedy absorption, for immediate action while dealing casualty, to avoid GIT interference, for local action, to avoid metabolism of the drug, etc. Among the various modes of administration of medicines, Ayurveda differentiates by adopting scalp as a route of administration of medicines. The anatomical peculiarities of the scalp play a key role in facilitating the absorption of the drug administered through the scalp. The route is also important as it is the nearest route for the diseases of head and neck. The different procedures adopted via scalp also help stimulate the CNS and activate the functions of thalamus. This route of administration is utilized in various trichological and dermatological aspects, diseases of neck, nose, eyes etc, severe headaches which disturb day-to-day life of a person to deadly shiroroga (diseases of head), psychosomatic diseases and poisoned conditions. This probably indicates the action of these modalities is not limited to localized entities but also acts on systemic diseases. This review article tries to expose all the references regarding scalp as a route of drug administration in Ayurvedic and modern perspective
Key words: Scalp, Transcranium, Murdhataila, Shira, kakapada chitsa, Nearest route
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