How useful are steroid creams? Are they essential for severe skin cases? Do they make a difference or are they detrimental to eczema?

As a long term sufferer of eczema, I know the difficulties of sourcing new and effective products when the condition of my skin is severe. As a citizen of the United Kingdom, I got prescribed creams by the NHS but found very little success with the products they provided. When my skin got severe, the answer to my problem was steroid creams, but they didn’t actually do much for the long term.

Steroid creams can gain quick results, showing improvements in skin conditionining and colouring, but what are the long term effects? For myself, steroid creams was a quick fix, but I was dependent on them. You can read my eczema struggles here.

Anita Wong’s Story

Anita Wong, a full time mother from Auckland, New Zealand, opened up on her struggles with steroid creams which left her with permanent damage to her eyes. After heavy usage for years, she developed cataracts on both of her eyes. Thereafter, she made the decision to ditch it and try and treat her skin without it.

Her decision was not an easy one. She went through a painful process called Tropical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW), which her skin reacted badly to, leaving her with cracked, flaky and painful skin. “The most difficult part was the vicious cycle of depression and insomnia brought on by the physical pain and itchiness. Some days just lying in bed breathing was physically painful” she stated.

In 2018 her skin started to look normal again, after the years of detoxing she put herself through. She went through a painful struggle, but is thoroughly enjoying her new found confidence after not having to worry about flare-ups or creams.

To view her full story with images, please click here. Warning, images show sensitive content.

What is TSW?

Red Skin Syndrome, or Tropical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW) are a result of long term users of tropical steroids stopping their usage. TSW can include the following symptoms:

Red skin
Burning sensation
Itchiness

Tropical steroids have been used for over 50 years in treating eczema and atopic dermatitis. To this day, it still remains one of the most effective drugs in dermatology as it works directly with the natural system in the body.

It must be noted that the condition does not occur with normal use. It generally requires the application of a tropical steroid at least daily for more than a year.

Should We Use Steroid Creams?

For atopic dermatitis and severe cases of eczema, steroid creams should be used with regular use of moisturizers to achieve these goals:

Maintaining control of the conditioning of the skin
Inducing remission
Preventing flares

Steroid creams should NOT be used continuously for more than two to four weeks. The frequency should be tapered to twice weekly use. Any side effects from steroid creams you should consult a doctor or dermatologist immediately.

My Experience with Steroid Creams

I have used many different types of steroid creams and have had mixed results from them. The main problem I had was that my skin suffered extreme withdrawal when I stopped my usage, as I used steroid creams on a daily basis. My usage was excessive and I used more than the recommended dosage.

My skin itself came out red raw and it took a while for skin to revert back to normal. A consistent routine without steroid creams worked for me. I researched everything in regards to my diet, the ingredients in my products and my fitness to try and improve the conditioning of my skin. Lets take a look at two steroid creams that are prescribed by the NHS.

Using the 1Source system, we can identify the ingredient that makes the steroid cream potentially harmful. In the Betnovate Crea m, it has a Potential Index Rating of 10 because of one particular ingredient, called Chlorocresol.

Chlorocresol is a fungicide/herbicide that kills or inhibits unwanted vegetation. It has a number of a safety and hazards that are concerning for eczema users.

Harmful if swalled (H302)
Harmful in contact with skin (H312)
May cause an allergic reaction (H317)
Causes serious eye damage (H318)
May cause repiratory irritation (H355)
Causes damages to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure (H373)

1Source View

It is worth noting the safety and hazard H318, serious eye damage, as it was the case for Anita Wong. We advise before applying anything, make sure you know what is in the product. The more knowledgeable you are, the better decisions you can make.

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