Although hydrocortisone creams offer powerful temporary relief for the itching and flakiness of eczema and psoriasis, they can quickly turn traitor and worsen your symptoms, warns dermatologist Jeffrey Rapaport, MD, director of the Cosmetic Skin and Surgery Center in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. “It’s very common to see redness and inflammation rebound worse than before if people use these creams too often or for too long,” he explains. 

The chief culprits are topical hydrocortisone creams, either over-the-counter or prescription versions.

To steer clear of trouble, use an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream for no more than 7 days. If skin problems persist or return, don’t resume the medication. See your doctor. “If you’re on a prescription corticosteroid and skin problems flare-up when you stop, especially if what began as an itch begins to burn, you could be suffering from rebound,” says University of California, Los Angeles dermatologist Marvin J. Rapaport, MD, who has long crusaded to convince doctors that steroid rebound is a serious problem. “The only cure is to stop the use of steroids completely.” 

Over the past 20 years, Rapaport has treated 2,000 patients with steroid rebound skin flare-ups. “All of them are eventually cured when we stop the medication,” he says. The downside: it can take a year of more for complete recovery.

Tags: anti-itch, eczema, hydrocortisone cream, psoriasis, skin creams, steroid