Betamethasone skin treatments are used to treat itching, swollen and irritated skin. They can help with conditions such as eczema, contact dermatitis and psoriasis.

Betamethasone skin treatments are available on prescription only. They come as:

• creams
• ointments
• lotions
• scalp treatments (lotions and foams)
• medicated plasters

They're stronger than some other treatments, such as hydrocortisone skin creams. Betamethasone is usually prescribed when other medicines have not worked.

Betamethasone is a type of medicine known as a steroid (also called a corticosteroid). This is not the same as an anabolic steroid.

Sometimes betamethasone is mixed with an antibiotic called fusidic acid. This is used to treat bacterial skin infections.

It also comes as an eye ointment; drops for your eyes, ears or nose; tablets and injections.

Read about:

• betamethasone eye, ear and nose treatments – for allergies, inflammation and autoimmune conditions
• betamethasone tablets and injections – for allergies, inflammation and autoimmune conditions

• Only use a steroid skin treatment if your doctor prescribes it for you. Do not use someone else's medicine.
• It's important to follow the instructions when using a steroid skin treatment. This helps to avoid side effects.
• Only use betamethasone on your face if your doctor says it's OK.
• Betamethasone will not help with skin conditions such as impetigo, rosacea and acne.
• Other betamethasone brand names include Audavate, Bettamousse, Betesil, Fucibet, Xemacort and Diprosone.

Most adults aged 18 or over can use betamethasone skin treatments. Medicated plasters are suitable for adults only.

Most other betamethasone skin treatments can be used by children over the age of 1 year. Occasionally a specialist may prescribe them for a younger child. However, some betamethasone creams and foams will only be prescribed for children aged 6 years and older.

Betamethasone may not be suitable for some people. Tell a pharmacist or doctor before using it if you:

• have ever had an allergic reaction to betamethasone, any of the ingredients, or any other medicine in the past
• are trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or you're breastfeeding
• have acne, rosacea (including rosacea around your mouth, called "perioral dermatitis") or a type of psoriasis called "plaque psoriasis"
• have a skin infection
• have broken skin, cuts or itchy skin that is not inflamed or red

Always follow the instructions from a pharmacist, doctor or the leaflet that comes with your medicine.

Betamethasone cream and ointment

Creams are better for skin that is moist and weepy. Ointments are thicker and greasier, and are better for dry or flaky areas of skin.

You will usually use betamethasone skin cream or ointment once or twice a day.

The amount of cream or ointment you need to use is sometimes measured in fingertip units. This is the amount you can squeeze onto the end of your finger.

A fingertip unit of cream is generally enough to treat an area that's twice the size of the palm of your hand.

Betamethasone skin treatments are unlikely to cause any side effects if you follow the instructions.

You're more likely to have side effects if you use it on large areas of skin for long periods of time, or on sensitive skin areas such as the face, or under dressings or nappies.

Some people get a burning or stinging feeling for a few minutes when they put betamethasone on their skin. This stops happening after you've been using it for a few days.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects are rare. They happen to less than 1 in 10,000 people who use betamethasone skin treatments. You're more likely to have a serious side effect if you use betamethasone on a large area of skin for a long time.

Using betamethasone for a long time can make your skin thinner or cause stretch marks. Stretch marks are likely to be permanent, but they usually fade over time.

Stop using betamethasone and tell a doctor straight away if:

• your skin becomes redder or swollen, or yellow fluid is weeping from your skin – these are signs of a new skin infection or an existing one getting worse
• you get lighter or darker patches on your skin – these are a sign of changes to the pigment in your skin
• you are using betamethasone for psoriasis and you get raised bumps filled with pus under your skin
• you have a very upset stomach or you're being sick (vomiting), have very bad dizziness or fainting, muscle weakness, feel very tired, have mood changes, loss of appetite and weight loss – these can be signs of adrenal gland problems
• you feel confused, sleepy, more thirsty or hungry than usual, pee more often, have hot flushes, start breathing quickly or your breath smells of fruit – these can be signs of high blood sugar (hyperglycaemia)
• you have any new problems with your eyesight after starting to use betamethasone

Children and teenagers

In very rare cases, using betamethasone for a long time can slow the normal growth of children and teenagers.

Your child's doctor will monitor their height and weight carefully if they need to use this medicine often. This will help them to notice if your child's growth is being affected and they can change the treatment if needed.

Talk to your doctor if you're worried. They will be able to explain the benefits and risks of your child using betamethasone.

Serious allergic reaction

It happens rarely, but it is possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to betamethasone.

Betamethasone is not usually recommended for use when pregnant. A dermatologist (skin care specialist) may prescribe it if they feel the benefits outweigh the risks.

Small amounts of betamethasone used on small areas of skin are unlikely to cause any problems in pregnancy. There's not enough research into betamethasone to know if it's safe to use larger amounts in pregnancy.

Betamethasone and breastfeeding

Betamethasone skin treatments are generally OK to use when breastfeeding.

If you're using betamethasone cream or ointment on your breasts, wash off any medicine from your breast, then wash your hands before feeding your baby.

It's usually better to use cream rather than ointment when breastfeeding, as it's easier to wash off.

For more information about how betamethasone can affect you and your baby during pregnancy, read this leaflet on the Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy (BUMPs) website.

It's very unlikely that other medicines will affect the way betamethasone skin treatments work.

If you're also using any other skin treatment, make sure you wait about 30 minutes between using betamethasone and using the other skin treatment.

Tell a pharmacist or doctor if you're taking:

• medicines used to treat HIV, such as ritonavir or cobicistat
• medicines used to treat fungal infections, such as itraconazole
• other medicines that contain steroids, such as eczema creams, asthma inhalers, tablets, injections, nasal spray, and eye or nose drops

Mixing betamethasone with herbal remedies and supplements

There's very little information about taking herbal remedies and supplements while using betamethasone. Ask a pharmacist for advice.