Abstract: A major concern for dermatologists in the last decade has been the inappropriate use of topical corticosteroids, especially over the face, resulting in preventable, unsightly side effects. Objectives: We aim to determine the pattern and relative frequency of facial cutaneous adverse effects caused due to misuse of topical corticosteroid containing preparations. Materials and Methods: A single contact, descriptive clinical trial including 110 patients with history and signs suggestive of topical corticosteroid abuse on the face, presenting to the out-patient department of dermatology in a tertiary hospital. Results: Most frequent indication for use was acne vulgaris (57.3%), followed by pigmentarydermatoses (21.8%), the incidence of which is correlating statistically with the age group, i.e., ≤ 25 years and > 25 years, respectively, demonstrating the maximal use, mostly under the influence of their peers/relatives (44.5%), in this study.The commonest topical preparation exploited was betnovate, containing betamethasone valerate 0.1% (65.4%), belonging to the potency class III.Most patients started experiencing problems after application of the concerned product between 1 and 6 months (45.4%). Major related symptoms complained of were discomfort on sun exposure (67.2%) and itching on withdrawal (61.8%) and, 5 most common signs observed on the Topical Steroid Damaged Face (TSDF) were hypertrichosis (63.6%), acneiform eruptions (62.7%), hyper/ hypopigmentation (42.7%), cutaneous atrophy (40%) and erythema (34.2%).Conclusion: Topical corticosteroid misuse is an ever rising issue that needs to be recognized around the globe and rectified consistently through education of the general public, medical and paramedical personnel and pharmacists and by discouraging their over-the-counter dispense, especially as beauty products.
Keywords: Topical Steroid Damaged Face (TSDF), Dermatology.
Title: Too Much of anything is Bad’- Topical Corticosteroid Misuse on the Face
Author: Naina Jain, Arvind Krishna, Bhagirath Singh Rathore, Garima Singh
International Journal of Life Sciences Research
ISSN 2348-313X (Print), ISSN 2348-3148 (online)
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