No, Calcipotriol is not a steroid. It is a synthetic variant of vitamin D3. Vitamin D is responsible for the growth of skin cells. In psoriasis, there is excessive growth of skin cells which do not fall off and appear as scaly patches. Due to this your skin develops raised red and silver colored scaly patches. Calcipotriol works by reducing the excess amount of cells your skin makes.

Calcipotriol may start showing improvement after about 2 weeks of starting the treatment but this may vary from person to person. You may observe significant improvement in signs and symptoms after about 8 weeks of treatment but full clearing is achieved in very few patients. Discuss with your doctor if you are not sure.

No, Calcipotriol should not be used on the face as it may cause skin irritation. Also, there are chances of it getting in the eyes. You should also be careful while using in skin folds such as the armpits or under the breasts. This is because you are more likely to get skin side effects in these areas.

Always use it exactly as advised by your doctor. Wash your hands before and after applying Calcipotriol. It is meant only for application on skin. Apply it on the area of the skin which has psoriasis (red and white scaly patches). You can squeeze the medicine directly on the skin or if you want you can squeeze it on your finger first. Apply it in a good quantity (thickly) and then gently rub it in to cover the area of psoriasis, till it disappears. Always wash your hands after use.

Calcipotriol should not be used by patients who are allergic to it, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have severe liver or severe kidney problems, or have high or low blood levels of calcium. Also, this medicine should not be given to children less than 6 years of age.