Eczema care: Steroids Video Transcript

Video transcript for eczema care: steroids

[Music throughout video]

Voice

Pounamu’s eczema has flared up. 

If your child's skin has active eczema and is red and itchy, steroids can help to soothe the skin and allow it to heal and become comfortable again. 

They’re used alongside other important eczema treatments, particularly moisturisers and avoidance of soap.

Topical steroids come in different strengths and the choice of steroid to use will be made based on the degree of eczema and which part of the body it’s on. 

Make sure you speak with your doctor or nurse who prescribes the treatment so that you understand which part of the body each cream is meant to be used on. 

Apply steroid creams to areas of active eczema once or twice a day. 

The best time to put these on is straight after the bath or shower before or after the moisturiser.

Apply steroid creams just to the skin which has active eczema, not to the entire body.;

Diana Purvis (dermatologist, Starship Children's Hospital)

Enough so that we can see just a nice shiny layer over the skin like that. A bit more up here.

Voice

When the eczema has gone away and the skin is no longer red and itchy you can stop using the steroid cream. Continue to use moisturisers though.   

Diana Purvis (dermatologist, Starship Children's Hospital)

The finger tip method can be a helpful way to work out how much topical steroid cream to apply. 

If cream is squeezed out on the tip of your finger from the first joint to the end, this amount of cream is expected to treat this amount of skin – the size of two palms of your hands. 

Remember:

Steroid creams are safe and essential for eczema care.

Use steroids on any skin with red, itchy, active eczema.

Stop steroid creams when the eczema has gone and start if the eczema returns but keep using moisturiser every day.

If your child still has red, itchy, active eczema, despite using steroid creams, please see your doctor or nurse.