i have a facial rash i have been using lenovate ointment. it helps but when i stop using it the rash appears again what else can i try. the rash is dry red and itchy ans sometimes if i apply cream or wash with soap it burns

Please note that I am not a physician and cannot diagnose or treat any medical condition.

My first question is are you using "temovate" ointment? It is also called clobetasol? I am not aware of any ointment in America called Lemovate, but if you are writing in from a foreign country, it may be something other than I am thinking.

Secondly, if you are indeed using this strong steroid ointment, I am concerned. First, I would never recommend using such a potent steroid on the delicate tissues of the face. If your dermatologist specifically recommended this to you, then I would recommend that you use the ointment sparingly and for no longer than 2 weeks at at time. This ointment is very powerful and it may actually damage the delicate tissues of the face if used for prolonged periods of time. Also, if you use it often, it is possible to absorb systemically and this can affect your hypothalamic-pituitary axis, supression the normal physiologic secretion of cortisol.

In addition, although this ointment helps temporarily, it certainly is not getting at the root cause of the rash since it keeps reappearing. Unfortnately, I don't have enough information to gander a guess at what is causing the rash. It could be anything from chapped, dry skin, to eczema, to a dermatitis, to scabies.

What I can say, is that it is not safe to continuously use this very powerful steroid on the face indefinately, and it would serve you best to seek a second opinion and get a specific diagnosis for the rash. After that is known, targeted and appropriate natural treatments can be recommended.