Dermatology Times has published a new editorial piece — "Don't Be Rash: Balancing Topical Steroids in the Era of Nonsteroidals" — that takes on a question now sitting in almost every dermatology clinic: how should clinicians position topical corticosteroids now that nonsteroidal topical options have arrived in force?

The title itself signals the editorial's stance. "Don't be rash" is a double nudge — an invitation not to abandon steroids reflexively, and a reminder that inflammatory dermatoses still demand fast, reliable control. The framing is balance, not replacement.

What does this change for prescribers?

The practical question the piece raises for dermatologists is straightforward: with nonsteroidal topicals expanding the formulary, when does a steroid remain the right first choice, and when does it not?

That question matters because topical corticosteroids have long anchored treatment for atopic dermatitis and other inflammatory skin conditions. Their efficacy is established; their limitations — cutaneous atrophy, tachyphylaxis concerns, patient anxiety about "steroid creams" — are equally familiar. Nonsteroidal entries into the topical space have given clinicians alternatives that sidestep some of those concerns, which is precisely why the balance is worth recalibrating now.

The editorial's core message, read from its headline, is caution against overcorrecting. The arrival of newer agents does not erase the evidence base behind corticosteroids, and a rational formulary likely uses both classes where each performs best.

Why the timing?

The "era of nonsteroidals" phrasing places the piece squarely in the current prescribing conversation. As nonsteroidal topical agents have multiplied, clinicians have had to weigh:

• where steroids still deliver superior or faster control;
• where nonsteroidals reduce long-term safety burdens;
• how patient preferences and steroid phobia shape adherence;
• how to sequence or combine the two classes in real-world practice.

The Dermatology Times piece does not frame this as a contest with one winner. The headline's verb — balancing — is the operative word.

The takeaway

For dermatologists, the piece is a prompt to review prescribing habits rather than a call to overhaul them. Steroids keep their place; nonsteroidals earn theirs; the clinical skill lies in matching drug to patient, duration, and anatomical site.

Expect this balancing conversation to intensify as the nonsteroidal topical category keeps expanding and real-world experience with the newer agents accumulates.