Is hydrocortisone damage reversible

[haze445]

Hi Im 19 years old and asking this because i been getting facial redness and some broken capillaries on my face nose and cheeks and my skin is starting to redden more. this problem started in the folds of my nose 2 years ago as skin flaking and been using the topical hydrocortisone cream ever since. Its got really worse when i got a really severe sunburn on my cheeks and nose because i forgot to wash of the cream when i went to the beach. I stopped using the cream and some redness went away but is my skin permanently damaged..is there any way to reverse it...please im desperate

[memo1994]

hi, i have the same problem, used hydrocortisone on the sides of my nose and on one of my eyelids for two and a half weeks, now my skin is really red and gets severely flaky, im worried that i damaged my skin permanently; i this possible?
im 17 years of age.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It can be due to steroid induced rosacea. It is an adverse effects of using steroids. Some patients develop steroid-induced rosacea within weeks of applying a topical steroid; others may not experience it for years.

You can use tacrolimus ointment for this after consulting a dermatologist.Using this rosacea often resolves the itch, redness, and tenderness of steroid-induced rosacea in 7 to 10 days with twice daily application. Complete clearing of steroid-induced rosacea usually takes 1 to 2 months. Sometimes clearing takes a bit longer. Avoiding rosacea triggers, such as caffeine, spicy foods, and alcohol, also may help clear the skin.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.