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5 Ways You Are Using Steroid Creams Wrongly

PLACEHOLDER
Portrait of Human
Human

June 2nd, 2017· 5 min read

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I just want to be prepared...

People often think of steroid creams as a supercharged version of household mosquito bite cream because they can get rid of your itchy red patches quickly.

But "magic" comes with some things you should take note of.

Here are five common ways that people misuse steroid creams, and suggestions on how to use them properly.

1. Treating all steroid creams as the same

blurry picture of pharmacy shelves

Topical corticosteroids, or "steroid creams" as they're more commonly called, is a family of products that come in different strengths. They are usually used to relieve inflammation in skin.

For most itching or irritating skin conditions, it is best to start with the lowest strength and work upwards if they don’t work well.

In Singapore, you can purchase lower strength steroid creams (eg. hydrocortisone or betamethasone) with the advice of a pharmacist from a pharmacy, but you'll need a doctor's prescription for more potent ones.

2. Applying steroids in ointment form on the scalp

oily hair cartoon

Ointments and creams are greasy preparations and tend to be more suitable for drier and non-hairy skin areas.

If your skin condition requires you to apply topical corticosteroids to your scalp or any hairy area, you should look out for products that come in a solution or gel form for easier application – less oil and less mess!

3. Applying steroid cream on an open wound

grazed knee on grass

Although tempting, steroid creams CANNOT be used on broken skin. Broken skin usually means when you can see blood on the skin.

Steroid creams are meant only for certain skin conditions which can benefit from its anti-inflammatory properties. Using steroid creams on open wounds can slow down the healing process. Some of the steroids can also be absorbed into the body.

FYI: Topical steroids are meant only to cause an effect wherever it is applied on your skin, and not for absorption into your bloodstream.

They will not heal fungal infections or bacterial infections. What is even worse is that steroids can even alter the appearance of fungal infections, making them harder to diagnose!

4. Using a thick layer of steroid cream

steroid cream 1 finger tip

This is a no-no. Unlike other types of creams (such as non-medicated moisturisers), applying a larger amount or thicker layer of cream does not speed up the healing process.

Parts of the body with thinner skin, such as the eyelids, genitals, and skin creases, tend to absorb the medicine more than other areas. As a general rule, the amount of steroid cream to be applied can be expressed in fingertip units.

One fingertip unit is when you squeeze a line of cream from the tube going from the tip of an adult’s index finger to the first crease. This amount is typically enough to cover an area of skin TWICE the size of an adult’s hand.

So you see, only a really thin layer is needed for it to work its magic. Also, this means you don’t waste the cream unnecessarily.

For children, the fingertip unit used is still the adult one, and you can measure the volume needed using your hands over the affected area. Do check with your doctor or pharmacist how much to apply as it may vary with skin condition and age too.

5. Using the cream continuously, without stopping

a woman applying cream on a leg

Long-term use of steroid creams is not recommended because it might be potentially dangerous. Using these medicines on the same area daily for months on end can cause the skin at the site to thin and tear easily, and you may see stretch marks appear!

If you use a large amount of cream for a long time, it is likely that more of the steroid component will get absorbed into your body.

Side effects similar to those with long-term oral intake of high-dose steroids can occur. An example is Cushing’s syndrome which is due to high levels of a hormone called cortisol – now that's not fun!


I hope this information is useful as steroid creams always seem to be an easy solution to skin itches, but now you know better!

Don’t hesitate to check how much and how often to use it with your pharmacist or doctor if you're ever in doubt.

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Sarah is a guest writer at Human, and a fully registered pharmacist with the Singapore Pharmacy Council. She’s currently working towards completing a further degree in public health. Things that excite her include a good book, a good cup of coffee and being able to help people use medicines safely.


I hope that you've found this guide useful, and perhaps gained more insight into the application process. Most of the admissions-related information (admin and logistics wise) can be found on the official NUS Faculty of Dentistry website.

To help yourself out, you should take note of what people look for when they look for a dentist.

This article was written by Human and published on Wednesday, 25 January 2017. Human medically reviewed the article on Wednesday, 25 January 2017. The last update was made on Friday, 18 September 2020.

Disclaimer: Opinions belong to the author and not to the platform.

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