Please note that I have re-written this post, in the light of new information
Hi Aquababe,
Hydrocortisone(HC) cream does seem pretty miraculous when you first use it but you need to manage your use of it for this effect to last. Basically, your skin gets used to it and it can gradually lose its effectiveness. I think they call this “tolerance”. Some people keep upscaling to stronger steroid creams (eg betnovate) because of this, which is probably a mistake. I think you can also become psychologically dependant on it – understandable, you just enjoy looking “normal” and want to stay like it.
I've been there with seb derm and have learnt the hard way. My approach now is to use HC for about 7 days and then stay off it for as long as I can – substituting careful washing, good moisturiser, other creams, avoiding triggers, natural products etc. If you can manage a month like this, when you go back to HC you'll probably find it works fantastically well. Then you repeat the cycle. Don't let yourself get too bad, though, before you pull yourself back. Take heart – sometimes the good periods can last ages. Other times...........well, there you go.
Don't misunderstand me – HC 1% cream is relatively safe, even for long-term use, and is often used on the face. Dire warnings about its safety are mostly nonsense and the “evidence” is anecdotal. Rosacea sufferers are especially wary of HC because they fear its rebound effects, but I gather even
their fears may be groundless. Check out
http://www.rosaceagroup.org/The_Rosacea_Forum/showthread.php?p=180152&highlight=hydrocortisone+safetyto see what I mean.
The link
http://www.herosepharma.com/fig/Clin...abif%204ed.pdfis an excellent resource for those who are frightened of HC. Seems it could be quite safe.
My own derm has said something similar about long-term use of daktacort.
No, the real issue is not safety but tolerance. Other treatments are therefore preferable, if they work. In my case (seb derm), I'm hopeful that ketoconazole cream will prove a good substitute for HC – the Internet evidence looks very promising. Watch this space.
I hope this is helpful.
doveman