Topical Steroids – What Are They?

Topical steroids are used to treat skin pathologies. Remember to take them carefully. Often there are two opposing situations: corticophobia and tachyphylaxis.

Tachyphylaxis is a rapid loss of drug sensitivity when used frequently, without proper interruptions. Find out more about it by reading the rest of this article.

The source of corticophobia, the so-called Steroid phobia is the fact of blaming topical corticosteroids for undesirable effects and side effects. The most common of these are edema, weight gain and an increased risk of osteoporosis.

However, in the case of overuse of topical medications, the effect of systemic steroids may occur. This is especially true when the steroids are quite powerful or are used on large areas of the body.

Tachyliosis, on the other hand, is a consequence of steroid abuse. People tend to reach for them too often for relief and their own well-being, which they undoubtedly often provide. However, they do not pay attention to the potential long-term consequences.

Topical steroids – what are the side effects?

Of course, the actual side effects that threaten us when using topical steroids on the skin must be considered.

• The most common side effect is skin loss, especially in the elderly.
• Other side effects that may be less common include stretch marks, hypertrichosis, and inflammation of the hair follicles, or acne.
• There is also talk of carbohydrate metabolism disorders or diabetes. Other side effects can be a stretch mark on the skin or even loss of calcium in the bones. 

If topical steroids are used with no noticeable improvement, despite proper placement as directed by a physician, be sure to evaluate your possible allergy to these drugs. Your doctor will determine this and decide if it is necessary to stop the application.

What factors influence the absorption of topical steroids?

When using topical medications, remember that the effect to be achieved does not depend on the active ingredient itself. There are other very important factors that affect the end result of treatment.

Leather permeability

When it comes to skin permeability, there are several conditions that affect it. Among these factors are:

• Age: the skin is more permeable in children and the elderly, so the greater the permeability, the greater the therapeutic effects, but also the undesirable ones.
• Location of the disease state: the effect varies depending on the area of ​​the body to be treated. The mucous membranes are the most permeable. The eyelids and face are next.
• Disease type and condition of the skin: in the case of acute lesions, with vesicles, blisters or wet lesions, vascularity increases, so also permeability and absorption increase.

However, in chronic lesions, the skin becomes harder and its permeability is much lower. In such cases, it may be necessary to use a slightly stronger local corticoid.

Typically, topical steroids are met with low absorption. It also means that with proper consultation with a doctor and with a short period of use of drugs – they can be used even during pregnancy.

Creams, solutions and gels – topical steroids

• Creams take different recipes. Remember that they should be approved by all cosmetic certificates. It should also be remembered that this type of therapy faces many challenges. Usually, patients forget about systematic application.
  
• Solutions and gels are indicated for acute dermatitis with swelling and vascularization. However, emulsions and creams are enough to achieve the desired effect in the case of subacute lesions.
• Ointments and gels are indicated for the treatment of chronic dermatitis such as xerosis (dryness) or atopic dermatitis.

The effects depend on the skin and disease type, and the form of topical steroid used.

Topical steroids – are they all the same?

Therefore, of course, they should be used as prescribed by doctors and specialists. They do not all have the same potency and have different side effects.

As always – each case is individual. Let’s not be our only doctors. It is worth following the advice of experienced people.

So we should also know which topical steroids are appropriate for the given situation. What do we have to consider?

• The type of disease.
• Location.
• The age of the patient.

Corticosteroids – What Are They Exactly?

Below, we have distinguished their types, depending on the severity of the therapeutic effect of mGKS:

• Very strong MCSs are used in the treatment of, for example, atopic dermatitis, lichen planus, alopecia areata, psoriasis, or even cutaneous lupus.
• Medium-strong corticosteroids are used in the treatment of AD and other eczema lesions.
• The weaker ones are suitable for the treatment of facial eczema, but also  nappy dermatitis.

Low-potency corticosteroids are indicated for the treatment of facial conditions for up to five days. However, if the condition is on the body in a different area, it is worth using these medium-strength corticosteroids for up to 10 days.

Importantly, the end of treatment should not be abrupt. It is recommended to switch to lighter corticoids or replace them with emollient creams to prevent rebound phenomena.

• Mild corticoids are rapidly metabolized to non-toxic molecules. In this way, the most undesirable side effects are avoided.
• However, mild topical steroids can also be dangerous if used for occlusive treatment, causing allergic reactions.

How To Choose The Best Topical Steroids For You?

When using topical steroids, it is important to choose the right dosage form depending on the type of disease for which it is intended.

Characteristics of acute skin pathology are not the same as the chronic form. As you already know – the location of the problem also matters.

The dermatologist will know best how to guide us to the right choice for our individual case.