Monday 14 July 2014

Skin Update: 32 Months and Still Healed!

I thought I'd better get round to doing an update because fellow-blogger Wynter was asking how my skin was doing and I promised I'd post photos!

Summer is still being kind to my skin and I've even developed a slight tan on my arms! The natural oils have returned and I don't need to moisturise much at all.

So..here are the photos:



I post photos of my face, arm and neck because these were real problem areas for me in the past and took a long time to heal. No complaints now though. I'm back to my pale and pasty self!

My thoughts and best wishes go to all those going through steroid withdrawals and I hope my photos have encouraged you.

I will continue to post updates to let you know how my skin is doing.

17 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Louise, Ive been following you for the last 9 months since i started TSW. You look great in your latest photos and because im having a flare/itchy time at the moment it just helps me to believe someday i could be "normal" I hope your healing improves further and i look forward to you future blogs.
Regards
Tracie

Unknown said...

Hi Louise, so happy that you are finally looking like your normal self! How wonderful for you! How do you feel physically? Are you still experiencing itchiness or any other physical discomforts? Or do you feel pretty comfortable nowadays?

Louise said...

Hi Stacey.

I definitely feel different. My skin is smooth and supple. It feels more naturally oily and less irritable.

I sometimes feel itchy but I'm not sure if that is some kind of psychological kickback to the TSW, like comfort itching. There is no rash for me to scratch! Sometimes I have an empathetic itch when reading about others suffering!

Things are great for me right now, but my next aim is to shift the weight I put on during TSW. I did way too much comfort eating.

Unknown said...

So happy for you!

atopiclady said...

Louise you look beautiful! So happy for you :)

curgolf said...

Yay, Louise!!! Pasty white never looked so good! :-)
Rosemarie

Wynter said...

Yay thanks for posting :) great to hear there hasn't been any mini flares to speak of. a tiny itch here and there sounds like heaven compared to TSW.

Lacey said...

Hi Louise it's great to see you looking so amazing! So happy for you :) I'm at month 23 and I'm flaring again from about month 21. My flares seem to have followed a similar pattern to yours. It clears up to beautiful skin in summer and then I'm a mess in winter. Do have any theory as to why this might happen? I'm just having those flare blues and need to feel like there's light at the end of this xxx

Louise said...

Hi Lacey,

My only theory is that it could have to do with the amount of sunlight on our skin. Dr Fukaya has spoken about this and seems so think that the UV has an anti inflammatory effect.

I am a bit worried about winter myself. I usually flare in October, but I will just have to wait and see what happens.

Mamta Eve said...

Hi Louise, I am 23 months into withdrawal. I've done pretty good but lately my flares have returned and is worst on my face. My eyes are always swollen and the skin around my eyes are always wrinkly and reptile like. It's encouraging to know you are doing so good after 32 months. I hope that soon I will also be more normal. I used topical steroids for 15 years. Sometimes this feels like it will never end.
i am Indian so my skin turned about 4 shades darker and remains that way on my face and neck.
Glad I found your blog!

Lacey said...

Thanks for you reply Louise :) I have heard this theory before. The only problem I have with this for me is I live in a tropical climate and winter is a beautiful 28 degrees with sun most days. Anyways I sincerely hope this winter is a better one for you. X

Louise said...

Oh, maybe my theory needs work then!

It sounds like heaven where you live. It's summer here in UK but raining. Boo.

Another theory revolves around the idea that we flare on the anniversary of stopping steroids. In my case in was November and a lot of people are reporting flares at the 12 month and 24 month marks.

It happens a lot, but I have no idea why. I'd love to understand more about the mechanisms of TSW.

Hope your flare ends soon. X

Audrey said...

Hi Louise. This is Audrey from Malaysia. I have been prescribed steroid since I was a child so on and off steroids for past 30 odd years. I quit and haven off steroids for 12 months now. Skin is improving slowly , still rashly on most parts of my body but not as intense as the early stages of tsw.
My biggest concern are the oozing wounds on back of my thighs that are really bad and not healing since it started in my 4th month of tsw. Just needed some advise from you. I understand you went through bad oozing periods too. How long and how bad was yours'. I have not been able to sit down properly or drive a car since.
Will my wound ever heal. It has been so long and it still oozes like a faulty tap at times.

Louise said...

Hi Audrey. Oozing is the worst symptom of TSW and I had the oozing on and off for most of my withdrawal. I had success treating the smaller wounds with moist wound therapy and found that the larger areas responded well to Epsom salt baths or domeboro.

Hope you feel better soon. 12 months is still early stages for TSW given your usage and healing may take a long time but don't give up! X

Audrey said...

Hi Louise. Thanks for your reply. I am really worried about my oozing wound. Woke up today and the wound has grown 3 times in sze and is weeping very badly. I just survived from eczema herpeticum 2 weeks back and thought the worst was over.
However, woke up today with bad rash on my face and especially bad around the eyes. Not sure if it is something I ate though I have been pretty careful. Decided to cut down on my diary intake especially cheese. Hopefully it will subside soon.
Maybe as you mentioned in your post, it could be the 12th month flare.

Louise said...

Hi Audrey,

Just be careful with it and don't hesitate to seek medical advice if you get worried about it, just to rule out possibility of infection.

Audrey said...

Will monitor progress and see the Dictor if condition worsen. Gonna try washing with apple cider. Some say it helps.