Tenovate contains a powerful steroid called clobetasol propionate. Steroid creams and ointments make the skin fair but damage it on prolonged use. Quacks and beauticians often recommended these creams because of their instant skin whitening properties but they do not know about the side effects caused by them. Medications like tenovate must never be used without the prescription of a doctor. If used for more than a month they cause addiction (similar to drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes), thinning of the skin (the blood vessels under the skin become visible), pimples, skin infections (as they reduce your immunity) and can cause more serious problems like rise in blood
sugar (steroid incduced
diabetes), thinning of your bones (osteoporosis) and shut down of the glands producing steroid hormones in your body (HPA axis suppression). Most of the times using such medicines for a long time causes permanent skin damage. As you are already addicted to tenovate you will develop darkening of the skin, dryness, itching and an intense desire to apply the cream again, the moment you stop it. In my experience it takes about 3 months to come out of the side effects associated with steroid creams. The pigmentation and pimples remaining after 3 months will have to be treated by non steroid creams, lasers and other procedures and may never be the same as your skin before. Please visit a dermatologist near you and seek help immediately. Advise people around you not to use medicines like tenovate, betnovate, panderm, quadriderm etc for fairness. Also never use local products where nothing is mentioned on the box about the ingredinets as most of them are cold creams mixed with steroids. Warm regards. Dr. Rajdeep Mysore. Chirag Hospital Bangalore