hydrocortisone cream for penile psoriasis

[dogsa329]

Hello, My name is David and i am 18 and have had psoriasis on my penis for about 4 years. For the last 3 years i really have not been doing anything about it and letting it clear up on its own, but sometimes that would take months.  Recently i have been putting hydrocortisone cream 1% on it. it worked pretty well and It went away after about 5 days of use.Then about a few weeks later it came back in the same spot. Is it ok to use hydrocortisone cream on that same spot again or will my skin start to thin? Thanks.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Psoriasis can be treated but it commonly has recurrences also.So a regular treatment is required for this.Treatment options include Ointment and creams containing coal tar, dithranol (anthralin), corticosteroids like desoximetasone (Topicort), vitamin D3 analogues (for example, calcipotriol), and retinoids,Psoralen+UVA and PUVB therapy. Over time, psoriasis can become resistant to a specific therapy. Treatments may be periodically changed to prevent resistance developing (tachyphylaxis) and to reduce the chance of adverse reactions occurring.
My advice is to get it examined from a dermatologist so as to assess its severity and mode of treatment.

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 doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[BeeFree]

Another treatment should be okay. Hydrocortisone cream does thin the skin but this is over years of prolonged use. Most see the signs of thinning in their 30s and 40s, and this is generally on the sensitive areas they used it most in their younger years, such as the face and neck.
Mention to your doctor that your skin is responding to hydrocortisone cream and he can prescribe you a similar treatment specifically for the genital area.

All the best.