Why do we feel that refreshing sensation on our scalp when using shampoos containing menthol? What kind of receptors do we have up there?
In: Biology
You’re covered in temperature-sensitive neurons. These are pretty clever, in that they use proteins that change shape based on the temperature. When they change shape, they cause the neuron to send a signal, and that signal is one that the brain receives and goes “Ah, Jim the cold receptor is signalling, it must be cold!” What menthol does is it sticks to these cold-sensitive receptors and forces them to change shape regardless of the temperature. So Jim the cold receptor sends a signal even though it’s not cold, and the brain can’t fact-check Jim. It trusts Jim to be correct, so when it sees Jim sending a message, it is confident that it is indeed cold. Capsaicin, the chemical found in chilis and responsible for the hot sensation does the same thing to Jill the heat receptor.
Menthol stimulates the nerves that feel cold temperatures. Applying menthol to any part of your body that is able to feel heat or coldness will result in that cold feeling. Menthol isn’t actually cold, it just interacts with the particular nerve pathways that are usually used for sensing temperature.
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