Mums hands split open from steroid use but salvation came in best cream for hand eczema made from donkey milk
The strength of the products range from 0.1% (1mg of hydrocortisone in each gram) to 2.5% (25mg of hydrocortisone in each gram). Creams for nappy rash and other skin problems in children under 10 years old are only available on prescription. If hydrocortisone acetate 1% cream is being used on the breast or chest area, as a precaution it should be applied after feeding or washed off before putting the baby on the breast.
- Steroids should only be put on the active red and flared eczema areas.
- I was off work at the time and immersed myself in how to “fix” myself.
- However, corticosteroids are not the same as anabolic steroids, which are sometimes used by bodybuilders and athletes.
- Both of these medications can help to treat outbreaks of eczema and dermatitis of the scalp, or psoriasis affecting the scalp, and effectively calm redness and irritation.
- The burden of treatment can be heavy, and so can the costs if you’re having to buy creams, soap substitutes and so on, or pay prescription charges.
I was prescribed Betnovate steroid cream for years for my hand eczema but it thinned my skin so badly, that about four months ago, I had a flare up on my palms and my palms literally split open and got infected. I had to take antibiotics to clear up the infection for my cracked palms and cracked fingertips, which had both become red, swollen and infected. Emollients should be used continuously even when the skin is good and the eczema is under control – as it often reduces the need for topical corticosteroids. Many studies have shown that used appropriately, the symptoms of eczema can be rapidly controlled with no side effects.
Keys facts for hydrocortisone cream/ointment
Do not apply hydrocortisone at the same time as other creams or ointments such as a moisturiser. Wait at least 10 minutes between using hydrocortisone and any other product. Try to use different skin products at different times of the day.
- Pharmacies sell hydrocortisone skin cream up to a maximum 1% strength.
- The severity and duration of flare-ups varies from person to person and from time to time in the same person.
- Put a thin layer of cream on the areas that have flared-up (or if using ‘weekend therapy’, on areas that usually get flares).
Gently smooth a thin layer onto your skin in the direction the hair grows. Wash your hands before and after you’ve applied the medicine, unless you are treating an area on your hands. Hydrocortisone acetate 1% cream can be safely used during pregnancy and breastfeeding after consultation with a doctor or pharmacist.
Eczema can cause the skin to
However, medicines can be used in different ways for different patients. It is important that you ask the advice of your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure about something. This leaflet is about the use of these medicines in the UK, and may not apply to other countries.
When eczema worsens this is called an eczema flare, eczema flares cause the skin to become red and inflamed and very uncomfortable. Skin thinning from topical steroid preparations should not be a problem if they’re used properly. It usually arises only when too strong a steroid has been used for too long, or in a ‘delicate’ area where the skin is naturally thin. As a result of this phobia, lots of children are under-treated resulting in longer flare-ups and increased complications such as infections.
If there is a significant flare subsequently, I recommend stepping back up to the stronger steroid to regain control and then gradually coming back down again. These studies support the long-term safety of TCI and low to mid-potency TCS therapy in children with atopic dermatitis. In Korea, a similar study was carried out, this one specifically surveying parents of children with eczema, and 67.5 per cent of parents showed steroid phobia. Roughly a third of children with atopic eczema will also develop asthma and/or hayfever, according to the British Skin Foundation.
Creams & Ointments
Studies show that using flare control creams once a day when you need them is just as effective as more often. It is common for eczema to return or flare-up shortly after stopping steroid creams. But if the flare-up seems severe or if you have been using steroid creams every day for a long time then please talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
What are topical steroid creams for eczema?
When used as instructed by your pharmacist or doctor, corticosteroids are a safe and effective treatment for discoid eczema. The hydrocortisone should not be applied at the same time as other creams or ointments, such as your child’s usual moisturiser or emollient. Wait at least 10 minutes between applying hydrocortisone and any other product.
Emollients and Steroid Treatments for Children
Occasionally, areas of skin affected by discoid eczema can be left permanently discoloured after the condition has cleared up. Additional medication can be prescribed if your eczema legalized steroids is infected or particularly severe. Discoid eczema is usually a long-term problem, but medications are available to help relieve the symptoms and keep the condition under control.
Patches of skin become very red in lighter skin types, or darker in skin of colour and in all cases eczema can be very sore with swelling and cracks in severe cases,’ explains Dr Vyas. This is all so helpful I think, but of course, we have more questions that the research doesn’t answer, as the review authors point out. For instance, there wasn’t evidence on how branded creams compare with generic ones, or on time between using an emollient and a steroid cream. Nor do we know what happens over a long period of time – important given that we’re talking about managing a long-term condition.