Hydrocortisone For Psoriasis On Face

Hydrocortisone 1% W/w Cream

This information is intended for use by health professionals

Hydrocortisone 1% w/w Cream

Derma Care 1% w/w Cream

Tesco Health Hydrocortisone 1% w/w Cream

Each 1 gram of the cream contains 10 mg of hydrocortisone .

Excipients with known effect

Each 1 gram of the cream contains 1 mg of chlorocresol and 90 mg of cetomacrogol emulsifying wax .

For the full list of excipients, see section 6.1.

Cream for cutaneous use only.

Hydrocortisone has topical anti-inflammatory activity of value in the treatment of irritant dermatitis, contact allergic dermatitis, insect bite reactions and mild to moderate eczema.

Posology

Use sparingly over a small area once/twice a day for a maximum period of one week. If the condition has not improved, or worsens, consult your doctor.

This product should not be recommended for use on children under 10 years of age without medical advice.

Method of administration

For cutaneous use.

Bacterial , viral or fungal infections of the skin.

Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients listed in section 6.1.

Use on the eyes and face, Ano-genital region, Broken or infected skin including cold sores, acne and athlete’s foot.

Remarks on indications

1. There is no good evidence that topical corticosteroids are efficacious against immediate allergic skin reactions or short-lived weal and flare reactions from other causes.

As with all corticosteroids, prolonged application to the face is undesirable.

Do not use under an occlusive dressing.

Topical Salicylic Acid And Corticosteroids

Salicylic acid is a topical keratolytic used in the treatment of a variety of papulosquamous lesions such as psoriasis. Its mechanism of action is still unclear, but it is believed to act by inducing disruption of keratinocyte-keratinocyte binding and softening of the stratum corneum by decreasing its pH .

Salicylic acid has a filtering effect reducing the efficacy of UVB therapy, so it should not be applied before treatment. Due to scarce data, it should not be applied during pregnancy .

Usually, salicylic acid is safe however, with long-term use in large skin areas, systemic salicylic acid toxicity can occur .

Studies with tritiated triamcinolone acetonide, desoximetasone, and hydrocortisone 17-valerate showed that salicylic acid enhance the efficacy of these corticosteroids by increasing their penetration in skin. This faster penetration of corticosteroids in skin does not occur when mixed with other ingredients such as camphor, menthol, phenol, or urea.

Fixed-dose combinations such as salicylic acid and betamethasone propionate or salicylic acid with diflucortolone are already available in some countries and they show similar efficacy. They both appear to be efficacious and well tolerated during short-term period treatment of plaque psoriasis and their use is recommended for limited areas of skin: for thick, scaly, and psoriatic plaques .

Various Hydrocortisone Cream Absorption Rates Include:

*Forearm absorbs 1%

3 weeks ago I couldn’t even bring my brand new baby girl outside without her having an itchy and painful severe allergic reaction. The doctors didn’t know what it was so they told me to put hydrocortisone on her face every day. Put a Steroid on my NEW baby’s face EVERY time we go outside! Absolutely NOT!! I researched for 48 hrs straight til I found a natural wash, the All Over Face & Body Wash and cream called Face & Neck TheraCream that had worked miracles for other people with similar reactions. I ordered both and after 3 uses we have been outside all day every day for 3 days straight with NO reaction. These products worked after one use…….after ONE use I could bring her out without a reaction when previously her face would blister from being outside for not even five minutes. Aim 2 Health LLC ….. and their websites…..Skin-Remedies.com and Aim2Health.com…. Thank YOU! Not one bump or blister, she has perfect skin when we go outside now. I will continue to purchase! Thank you so much!!! Tonya Hayes, NH

is rash free and baby smooth again! I am so thankful to have found this product. My husband has also been using this on his face for dermatitis and his skin has cleared fully in 3 days. Much to his dermatologists surprise! We had not seen my daughters smile in two weeks because she was so uncomfortable but now she is all smiles, all the time… Thank you! Whitney, CA

Letters to Nanette:

Don’t Miss: Is Apple Cider Good For Psoriasis

Using Treatment Regimens That Minimize Side Effects

In order to reduce side effects for long-term use of topical corticosteroids, a number of new therapy regimens have been studied. One of them is weekend or pulse therapy where three consecutive doses of corticosteroids at 12h intervals are given on the weekends, following a successful initial cleared or almost cleared therapeutic response to daily potent topical corticosteroids application .

Considering Use In Vulnerable Areas

The face and the intertriginous areas are particularly sensitive to untoward effects. For that reason, the protracted use of corticosteroids, even with lower potency, can be associated with telangiectasia on the face and formation of striae on intertriginous sites such as the groin, axillae, or under the breasts .

Even though safety of topical corticosteroids and other topical treatments has been recently reviewed, additional studies of topical corticosteroids are imperative.

Read Also: Best Natural Shampoo For Psoriasis

Topical Tazarotene And Corticosteroids

Tazarotene was the first topic retinoid found to be effective for mild-to-moderate psoriasis and it is available in cream or gel form.

Tazarotene is a retinoid derivate which binds the retinoic acid receptor in a class-specific manner, preferentially binding RAR- and RAR- than RAR- . This regulation of transcription result in reduced keratinocyte proliferation, normalized keratinocyte differentiation, and decreased inflammation. Its protective role against cutaneous atrophy from corticosteroid induction, may be important already shown by the retinoid tretinoin .

This retinoid may cause skin irritation in up to 30% of users , and this irritation was more pronounced in patients receiving tazarotene plus corticosteroids than in those receiving calcipotriol .

Retinoids may reduce UVB tolerance, and tazarotene has proven to be more efficacious than UVB alone .

As the systemic retinoids, tazarotene is contraindicated in pregnancy.

It is not indicated to prescribe tazarotene mixed with corticosteroids. Although tazarotene showed to be chemically compatible with a number of topical corticosteroids, no experiment testing over two weeks of treatment has been performed .

Is 25% Hydrocortisone Cream Safe For Face

Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!

Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!

HealthTap doctors are based in the U.S., board certified, and available by text or video.

Recommended Reading: Natural Psoriasis Treatment During Pregnancy

Combining Topical Corticosteroids With Other Topical Agents

The combination of topical corticosteroids with other topical anti-inflammatory agents, as steroid-sparing therapies, can result in an improvement of efficacy with less side effects. Sequential therapy with higher-potency corticosteroids in combination with a vitamin D analogue such as calcipotriene can increase short-term efficacy and decrease side effects in long-term treatment .

Another successful combination is topical corticosteroids and tazarotene, which has improved efficacy compared to tazarotene therapy alone . Whilst corticosteroids maximize efficacy and minimize toxicity of tazarotene, this drug reduces the development of corticosteroid-induced cutaneous atrophy .

Salicylic acid can also be applied in combination with mild-potency corticosteroids increasing the skin penetration .

Besides the combination with other topical agents, corticosteroids are often used in combination with UVB phototherapy, traditional systemic agents , and biological agents .

National Psoriasis Foundation Shares Tips On Over

• The National Psoriasis Foundation released a webinar with dermatologist-recommended tips on over-the-counter products for psoriasis.
• Over-the-counter products like moisturizers, topical hydrocortisone, and topical tar-based products can help manage mild to moderate psoriasis.

The National Psoriasis Foundation released a new webinar, What You Need to Know About Over-the-Counter Treatments for Psoriatic Disease, on Sept. 23. In the webinar, dermatologist Dr. Steven Feldman, director of the Psoriasis Treatment Center at the Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, shared insights and tips on a wide variety of nonprescription products for psoriasis.

The majority of the webinar focused on treating and relieving the symptoms of mild to moderate psoriasis . As Dr. Feldman noted, over-the-counter products alone may not be sufficient in treating extensive disease.

Read Also: How To Treat Psoriasis On Hands

What Makes A Product Work

It is important to ask yourself what makes any product work? Is it so surprising and hard to believe that synthetic ingredients, drugs, steroids and other harsh chemicals that FORCE your body to produce a certain response, often fail due to the body’s built in “PROTECTION FACTOR”? Just as healthy, live foods nurture the body, natural and plant based remedies help your skin to respond in the way you want it to.

But I am seeing more and more of these people make their way towards natural remedies for skin and scalp therapy that is pure and organic and works fast and to this end I am thankful.

Educate Yourself In Natural Skin Remedies

I believe in thoroughly educating those who are truly searching for “nature’s way” of helping the skin and scalp to repair and that’s why I offer an extensive amount of information for my viewers. It is in this knowledge that people can make an educated choice about their health care and start making more natural and safer choices that will actually yield healthful results. This is what I and my company are all about, this is our mission, this is our passion.

I have since seen 1000’s of people with severe skin and scalp problems get the help they so badly needed in my recommending natural skin remedies. Plain and simple……THEY WORK!

What I often tell my customers:

1) Remember! The body will absolutely RESPOND to natural, so why settle on chemicals and synthetic ingredients.

Cutaneous Mechanisms Of Action Of Topical Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids act in two different ways at the cellular level, divided into genomic and nongenomic pathways.

The genomic pathway refers to the glucocorticoid receptor and to its activation by cortisol, subsequent receptor homodimerization, and binding to glucocorticoid-responsive elements . When the ligand is absent, the glucocorticoid receptor accumulates in the cytoplasm complexing with proteins, including the large heat shock proteins HSP90 and HSP70. But when the ligand binds to the receptor, this complex is disrupted and the GR migrates to the nucleus. Upon dimerisation of GR and binding to a palindromic promoter sequence, the glucocorticoid response elements, the transcription of genes with anti-inflammatory functions such as tyrosine amino transferase , phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase , IL-10, -adrenergic receptor, IL-1-receptor antagonist, and dual-specificity protein phosphatase 1 are promoted. GC negatively regulates the expression of proinflammatory genes by transrepression, for example, cytokines, growth factors, adhesion molecules, nitric oxide, prostanoids, and other autacoids . Further, coactivators or corepressors help modifying the structure of chromatin, enabling the DNA transcription . The cortisol-glucocorticoid receptor complex may interact with nuclear factor-B leading to its transrepression . The latter mechanism apparently requires lower cortisol levels than the mechanism involving the GRE .

Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Read Also: What Is Plaque Psoriasis Look Like

Can Hydrocortisone Be Used On The Face

Mild hydrocortisone creams of 1% strength can be bought over the counter at pharmacies, whilst stronger ones, up to 2.5% strength can be prescribed by a doctor. However, pharmacists cannot sell hydrocortisone creams, however mild, for use on the face. This is because the skin on the face is much thinner than elsewhere on the body.

Using hydrocortisone creams on the delicate skin of the face will mean that more of the steroid ingredient will be absorbed, which could lead to side effects. Aside from that, long term use of topical steroids like hydrocortisone can cause damage to the skin on the face.

That said, sometimes, hydrocortisone creams are prescribed by doctors for use on the face. But this can only be done under the supervision of a doctor, in certain circumstances and only for short periods of time such as seven to 14 days.

In these cases, doctors will usually advise that theyre used once a day, sometimes twice, with a gap of at least eight to 12 hours between applications.

Why Genital Psoriasis Can Be Hard To Diagnose

According to the National Psoriasis Foundation , genital psoriasis can affect the following areas:

• Penis, scrotum, or vulva
• Pubis
• Crease between the buttocks, including the skin around the anus
• Inner and upper thigh
• Crease between the thigh and genital area

While plaque psoriasis can appear on the genitals, more often the type of psoriasis that develops on this part of the body is called inverse psoriasis a type that develops in the skins natural folds, or in places where skin rubs against skin, according to the NPF.

Inverse psoriasis doesnt have the telltale dry scales of plaque psoriasis, because it occurs in areas where there is excess moisture. Unlike plaque psoriasis, Inverse psoriasis often looks like a rash with sharp borders, says Ellis.

But when it appears in the groin area, it is often mistaken for a fungus, like jock itch. When it appears on the genitals, it may be mistaken for a sexually transmitted disease, says Ellis.

Inverse psoriasis may be underreported, in part because it can be tough to diagnose doctors often find it necessary to do a skin biopsy, according to Ellis.

You May Like: Plaque Psoriasis On Black Skin

Complementary And Alternative Treatments

Youll find plenty of these for treating psoriasis. The US Food and Drug Administration doesnt regulate these products. As such, few of these treatments have been studied. Those that have been studied were tested on small numbers of people, so we dont know how well these treatments work. We also dont know whether theyre safe.

What Are The Clinical Features Of Facial Psoriasis

Facial psoriasis has various clinical presentations. There are three main subtypes:

• Hairline psoriasis

• An extension of scalp psoriasis beyond the hairline onto facial skin
• Bright red, thickened plaques with variable white scale

Psoriasis affecting hairline

• Patchy involvement of the hairline
• Often affects the eyelids, eyebrows, nasolabial folds and beard area
• Salmon-pink, thin plaques with bran-like scale
• Usually associated with diffuse or patchy scalp psoriasis
• Psoriasis may or may not be present at other sites

Sebopsoriasis

• Sharply demarcated, red, scaly plaques
• May affect any part of the face
• Plaques tend to be symmetrical
• Associated with psoriasis at other sites including ears, genitals, scalp, elbows, knees, and trunk

• Soreness and skin sensitivity, which are usually mild

You May Like: Cerave Psoriasis Moisturizing Cream Walgreens

Common Conditions Hydrocortisone Creams Can Treat

Hydrocortisone cream is an appropriate treatment for many allergic skin rashes, such as atopic dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis . It is also good for treating insect bites or stings. Other conditions hydrocortisone creams can treat include:

• Irritant contact dermatitis
• Seborrheic dermatitis

The choice and strength of hydrocortisone cream product depend largely on the specific skin condition.

Cutaneous Adverse Effects Of Topical Corticosteroids

The very first contact that the patient has with topical corticosteroids is mostly through skin. Although corticosteroids help mitigate psoriatic lesions, cutaneous side effects are numerous and not rare. Skin atrophy, striae rubrae distensae and perturbed cicatrization are the most common. Hypertrichosis, steroid acne, perioral dermatitis, erythema, and telangiectasia may also occur. Erythema and telangiectasia together with skin atrophy may lead to permanent rubeosis steroidica . Hyperpigmentation is rarer than the above-mentioned adverse effects .

Purpura, milia and rubeosis steroidica induced by superpotent topical corticosteroids.

Special attention should be paid when applying topical corticosteroids in the presence of an infection, as there is a risk of exacerbation. Topical corticosteroids can inhibit the skin’s ability to fight against bacterial or fungal infections. A common example of this inhibition is seen when a topical steroid is applied to an itchy groin rash. If this is a fungal infection, the rash gets redder, itchier, and spreads more extensively than a normal mycosis. The result is a tinea incognito, a rash with bizarre pattern of widespread inflammation .

Recommended Reading: What To Do For Psoriasis On Elbows

Bioavailability Of Topical Corticosteroids

The type of psoriasis and drug metabolism in the skin are the main factors that influence bioavailability of topical corticosteroids.

Alterations in the epidermal permeability barrier may contribute to psoriasis, as evidenced by the enhanced transepidermal water loss. Recently, an association between the gene of psoriasis and variations in the late cornified envelope gene loci has been confirmed, establishing a relation between an alteration of the permeability in the epidermis and the pathogenesis of the disease . There is also the 500 Dalton rule for the skin penetration of chemical compounds and drugs, which states that molecules above that weight are not capable of crossing the stratum corneum . For instance, topical tacrolimus is not effective in chronic plaque-type psoriasis but it is useful in psoriasis in the face or intertriginous areas, in pustular psoriasis , and when combined with descaling agents .

One of the most important points to achieve the success in treatment is to choose the best corticosteroid formulation according to each patient. There is an array of manufactured vehicles including creams, ointments, lotions, foams, oils, gels, solutions, drops, shampoos, sprays, and tape the efficacy rates between them are roughly comparable . For example, scalp, foams, gels, or sprays may be more easy to apply, and so, a better result is expected.

Heads Up: Anthralin For Scalp Psoriasis

Anthralin is a prescription topical cream or shampoo for the scalp that slows down the growth of skin cells.

• Anthralin, like coal tar, can be messy, stain fabrics, and has a strong odor.
• Anthralin can also stain the skin or hair with a temporary reddish brown color.
• Treatment may be applied for short periods to help lessen staining and irritation. Follow your healthcare providers instructions for use.

Like coal tar, anthralin may be used in combination with UV light to help with skin symptoms of psoriasis, including dryness, redness, flaking, scaling, and itching.

Also Check: What Is The Best Treatment For Guttate Psoriasis