Corticosteroid creams ineffective for sunburn

Corticosteroid creams and ointments do not provide much help in treating acute sunburn. Topical corticosteroids, like hydrocortisone and betamethasone, are effective for inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema. Sunburns are the manifestation of an inflammatory reaction to damage from ultraviolet (UV) light, but earlier studies have come to conflicting conclusions about the effect of topical corticosteroid treatment on acute sunburn. To investigate, researchers studied 20 healthy, sun-sensitive volunteers to test whether or not topical corticosteroids could offer quick sunburn relief. All participants had their upper backs exposed to UV-emitting lamps; some areas of their skin were treated beforehand with a moderate- or high-strength corticosteroid cream, while other areas were treated 6 and 23 hours after the UV exposure. One area of skin was left untreated. Then the volunteers' sunburns were examined one hour after the last corticosteroid application. It was found that in areas of skin treated before UV exposure, the creams did seem to lessen redness. However, the creams did not help in treating skin after UV exposure. The findings suggest that topical corticosteroids have no effect in treating sunburn. This could be because once the sunburn is visible, it becomes too late for corticosteroids to be effective. So, sunburn sufferers can try to find relief by using pain medication, and after-sun lotions can cool the skin and offer a temporary reprieve. However, the severity of the acute sunburn will be the same whether you use topical corticosteroids or not.