About steroid injections

Steroid injections are performed to treat a number of skin conditions including scarring and hair loss. Steroid injections are generally safe and well tolerated however there are some important risks that you should be aware of when deciding whether this is the right treatment for you.

General risks

• Pain: There may be pain during the procedure or afterwards. Rarely pain may persist for a longer period or fail to resolve.
• Infection: There is a small risk of infection. In most cases this can be treated with antibiotics and the site will heal well.
• Pigmentary change: There can be loss of pigmentation in the treated area leaving a white patch. This can be permanent and is very difficult to treat. Very rarely this area of pigment loss can extend beyond the site of the injection. The treated area may also become hyperpigmented (darker) or redder.
• Atrophy: There is a risk of the steroid injection causing a dipped scar or loss of subcutaneous fat in the treated area causing a noticeable depression. These changes can be permanent.
• Bleeding, bruising, haematoma formation: There may be bleeding during the procedure. Rarely there may be delayed bleeding hours or even days after the procedure. Rarely bleeding may occur under the surface of the skin leading to a large bruise or collection of blood that requires surgical removal.
• Numbness / Burning / Altered sensation: Any skin procedure can cause damage to the small sensory nerves that supply touch sensation. Usually this will improve with time but rarely it may be permanent resulting in numbness / burning / long lasting pain or altered sensation. Rarely this may be permanent.
• Damage to important nerves and blood vessels: Depending upon the site, there is a very small risk of an injection resulting in damage to important nerves or blood vessels that could result in permanent weakness or other serious adverse consequences.
• Allergic reaction (rare): It is possible to have an allergic reaction to the steroid that is injected or other ingredients in the injection. Extremely rarely this may be serious or life threatening.
• Vascular occlusion (very rare): There have been cases reported where a steroid injection has blocked blood vessels causing tissue death or damage. Extremely rarely, when injected in the head or neck area, this has resulted in permanent neurological damage (stroke) or blindness.

Fees and Samples

• In addition to the fee charged by Dr Lynch there will be a separate fee that is charged by the clinic for the steroid injection.
• As listed above, steroid injections can rarely have complications that may require additional treatments for example dipping of the skin, loss of fat or loss of color. The costs of any additional corrective treatments required are not covered by the fees for this procedure. They may be covered by medical insurance providers, however you should check this in advance.
• If you are paying for treatment yourself, it is important to be sure that you understand the fees due to Dr Lynch and the clinic fee for steroid injection prior to the procedure. If you are using medical insurance it is essential that you have confirmation that they have agreed to fund all procedures and fees otherwise you will be liable for these fees.