Hormone Creams

Hormone creams help when used for a short period of time but have a harmful effect when used over a longer period. Always keep this simple rule in mind. Prednisolone and cortisone, the main ingredients of hormone creams and ointments, prevent the skin cells from being nourished, so they actually negatively affect the skin’s defence mechanisms. If they are used over a longer period of time, they can change the pigmentation of the skin and permanently damage it, so they should only be used when prescribed by a dermatologist.

Hormone creams reduce swelling, allergic reactions, blood rush, inflammation, and itchiness of the skin on the areas where they are applied.

In acne, rosacea, and viral or fungal skin conditions, hormone creams or ointments should not be used!

Although they look the same, the creams used by beauticians and the creams we apply on our skin on an everyday basis differ from those used by dermatologists. They have different ingredients and effects. Alongside the basic substances which give the cream or ointment its recognisable form, cosmetic formulations contain lower levels of active ingredients than dermatological ones. This means that we can use beauty products for as long as we want, while the dermatological ones can only be used for a certain amount of time, as determined by a doctor. Some ingredients, such as hormones, cannot be included in cosmetic formulations. They are only found in formulations used to treat skin conditions. The most often used ones are prednisolone and cortisone, synthetically produced glucocorticoids, which are intended exclusively for external use. Glucocorticoids are adrenal gland hormones which, among other things, have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic effects.

When hormone cream is applied to skin, prednisolone and cortisone show their true power. They have multiple effects on the treated area, they reduce inflammation, decrease swelling, reduce itchiness, blood rush and allergic reactions.

Tolerance
Many people wrongly think that hormone creams eliminate the cause of the inflammation or skin allergy. Hormones only shorten and simplify the course of the condition because they “erase” its symptoms. So, for as long as we apply the hormone formulation to the affected area of the skin, the symptoms disappear, but when we stop using it, they return even stronger than before. In addition to that, synthetic glucocorticoids prevent the skin cells from being nourished, so they actually negatively affect the skin’s defence mechanisms.

Everyone’s skin has a tolerance limit, which can vary for each person. People with a lower tolerance limit, who have more sensitive skin prone to damage and disease, have to be careful when using hormone formulations. When they are used for a longer period of time, they damage the surface barrier of the skin, making the skin thinner, atrophied, more sensitive, and highly reactive in contact with certain environmental aggressors. If the use of the hormone formulation is not discontinued, the skin starts reacting even to the most harmless environmental substances. In the end, this part of the skin gets slightly indented atrophied stripes. The same kind that appear when the adrenal gland overproduces steroid hormones.

The face is more sensitive
The skin on the face, due to its specific structure and common sebaceous gland disorders, is especially sensitive to hormone creams. When they are used for a longer period of time, red spots can appear on the cheeks and the nose, similar to rosacea. This is because the skin has a tolerance limit, so when this limit is exceeded and the cream continues to be used, it causes steroid-induced dermatitis, causing the skin to resemble the colour of a fire engine. Sometimes it can lead to long-term face redness, e.g. rubeosis steroidica.

Long-term use of hormone creams also causes skin pigmentation changes, minor bleeding, and acne. These changes do not disappear until the use of the hormone cream or ointment has been discontinued for a long time.

Not too long and not too much
The conclusion is clear: Glucocorticoids are highly active substances, and when they are applied to skin over a long time and without monitoring, they can cause permanent skin damage, e.g. steroid-induced dermatitis, acne, and rubeosis. These conditions are difficult to treat and their treatment takes a long time as there is no cure other than the skin going through a period of abstinence.

But, that is not all. When a substance penetrates the surface barrier, nothing can stop it from permeating the deep layers of skin and the bloodstream. Therefore, if glucocorticoid formulations are used over a longer period and on a larger surface, they can enter the body through the skin and affect all body organs (systemic action). In the words of Zlata Sviben-Radovčić, MD: “All nerve warfare bioagents work though the skin, and do it flawlessly. In the same way, hormone creams and ointments easily penetrate the skin and reach the organism”. According to her, a person who applies 60 g of hormone ointment on a larger surface of the skin every day, will destroy their adrenal gland in 15 days!
Therefore, creams and ointments which contain glucocorticoids must be used only when prescribed by a dermatologist.

They do not address the cause, only the symptoms
Hormone creams are primarily used in skin conditions which are a result od something that had already spontaneously disappeared. They do not eliminate the cause of the skin inflammation or allergy but diminish and shorten the duration of symptoms in the following skin conditions:

• Dermatoses caused by various irritants (allergens) and those caused by contact with certain animals (toxic substances, e.g. caterpillar) or plants.
• In skin conditions with an unknown cause, to help quickly eliminate strong symptoms, such as itching (pruritis).
• In psoriasis, ringworm, or alopecia, the external use of corticosteroids can, at least for a short time, reduce the symptoms of the condition.

Eczema and neurodermatitis can also be treated with glucocorticoids to eliminate uncomfortable symptoms. The formula can be used for 1 to maximum 2 weeks.

WARNING! In skin tuberculosis, acne, rosacea, and viral or fungal skin conditions such as herpes or warts, hormone creams or ointments should not be used!