The word "steroid" tends to strike fear in the hearts of patients, and with some justification if we are talking about the use of an oral steroid taken for an extended period. But steroids that act locally—applied to the skin, blown up the nose, or inhaled into the lungs—are much, much safer than the oral forms. The steroids chosen for local effects usually break down rapidly once they penetrate deeper than the structure they're intended to treat.