What should you know about ultrapotent topical corticosteroids?

These medicines reduce immune activity in inflamed skin, easing redness, swelling, itching and thickened plaques. A clinician may choose them when a milder steroid has not controlled a flare, including some forms of eczema, contact dermatitis or lichen planus. Strength is only one part of the decision: thin facial skin, eyelids, skin folds and genital skin absorb medicine more readily than thicker areas such as the palms or soles. The prescribed product should not be assumed to be interchangeable with another steroid.

Apply a thin film to the affected skin only, following the prescribed schedule. Wash your hands before and after unless the hands are being treated, and avoid covering the area with an airtight dressing unless instructed. Do not extend treatment to new rashes or use it for acne, an undiagnosed infection or a child without specific advice. Prolonged or repeated use can thin the skin, cause visible small blood vessels or mask an infection, so arrange a review if the flare is not settling.

Contact the prescribing clinician if burning, marked thinning, easy bruising, new stretch marks or worsening redness develops. Seek prompt medical assessment for spreading warmth, pus, fever, painful blisters or rapidly worsening tenderness, because these can signal infection or another condition needing different treatment. Around the eyes, new eye pain or vision change needs urgent attention.

Ask which areas should receive the medicine, how much to apply, when to stop, and whether a moisturizer or step-down treatment should follow. Confirm whether the rash could be infected and what to do if it returns.