Dermal Safety Comparison of 0.05% Desonide Cream and 1.0% Hydrocortisone Cream
April 1993
in “
Current Therapeutic Research
”
TLDR Both creams are equally safe, but hydrocortisone may cause more visible blood vessels.
Thirty patients with seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp participated in a double-blind, randomized, bilateral study comparing 0.05% desonide cream and 1.0% hydrocortisone cream over 8 weeks. Clinical evaluations showed no statistical differences between the two treatments in terms of telangiectasia, epidermal thinning, striae, shiny surface appearance, hair loss, muscle waste, fat waste, loss of elasticity, skin markings, and purpura or bruising. Neither treatment caused atrophy, but hydrocortisone-treated sites had a slightly higher number of telangiectasia.
