CKS is no longer commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE remains committed to providing a replacement service for CKS and is currently reviewing its options. In the meantime, although CKS content is now not being maintained, it still remains relevant and will continue to be made available. CKS content was generated under a programme of topic creation and update. To check if the topic you are viewing is current or out of date, please refer to the topic publication details by clicking on the 'How up-to-date is this topic?' link in the left hand menu on individual topic pages.
Corticosteroids - topical (skin), nose, and eyes - Management
Finger tip units (FTUs) for adults
- The approximate amount of topical corticosteroid that should be applied to adults, for each area of the body, is listed in Table 1.
Table 1. Amount of topical preparation (in finger-tip units [FTUs]) for different areas of an adult's body.
Body area | Number of FTUs |
|---|
Scalp | 3 |
Face and neck | 2.5 |
One hand (front and back including fingers) | 1 |
One arm (including entire hand) | 4 |
Elbows (large plaque) | 1 |
Both soles (of feet) | 1.5 |
One foot (dorsum and sole) including toes | 1.5 |
One leg (including entire foot) | 8 |
Buttocks | 4 |
Knees (large plaque) | 1 |
Trunk (front) | 8 |
Trunk (back) | 8 |
Genitalia | 0.5 |
|
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement