My face flare has gone into the dry flaky phase, so it looks awful, but I know it is almost over. I went to the theatre last night-no makeup on, but it didn't matter because it was nice and dark in there!
Following the current boom of TSW related blogs, I am pleased to announce a new blogger on the block. Heather is an Esthetician, so her views on dealing with TSW will be enlightening and interesting. She is currently 153 days into steroid withdrawal. I love the way she deals with it in a humorous way, her blogpost today really made me smile, even though the subject matter hit very close to home!
Anyway, her blog is definitely one to watch, and full of useful practical info to help deal with TSW. She has some good tips on there and she advises avoidance on harsh detergents when cleaning, which is something I absolutely agree with. I think detergents are responsible for many cases of eczema in children and adults, and have a stock of white vinegar and baking soda in my cupboard now!
Check out the cleverly-titled eczemancipated blog today.
Saturday, 13 October 2012
Thursday, 11 October 2012
Day 336: photo
A funny thing happened to my face......
Ecstatic at the progress that my skin had made, I decided to put some makeup on when I went out a couple of nights ago. Since I started TSW, I usually wear no makeup at all, and only recently started experimenting again with a little mascara and lipstick on the odd occasion. Anyway, this was different. This was the works: face powder, eyeshadow, lipstick and mascara. I also smeared serum through my hair to make it look glossy. I figured my skin would cope.
I figured wrong.
By the time I got home, I noticed a wet patch on my cheek. The skin on my cheek was starting to form small, water-filled blisters in response to the "irritation". The skin was incredibly itchy and rough. This was the first time it has wept fluid in many months. The next day, the blisters dried out and the skin is now like this:
Now OK, to get it into perspective, I know it is not nearly as bad as it was at the beginning of withdrawals, but seeing as my skin was almost normal, this has been a big setback for me. Also, the skin feels worse than it looks, so it actually feels like it is burning and is very itchy.
I know it will be better in a few days. It will follow the usual pattern of going all dry and flaky before revealing nice new skin, but it has me concerned about any future use of cosmetics. I wonder whether I will ever be able to put a "face on" again.
So, I'm not too fussed during day to day stuff like taking the kids to school and visiting friends, but I do like to make a bit of effort if I am going out for the evening. It is nice to look human once in a while! The ironic thing was that when I went out, my friend told me how nice I looked. The aftermath is not too pretty though!
TSW makes the skin incredibly sensitive. In one of Dr Rapaports papers, he writes about a lady who went through TSW and at the end of about 2 years, she could wear makeup again with no problems. So maybe I will stick the makeup bag in the drawer for now and try again in a few months. Hey, maybe my skin will be so good that I won't need any cosmetics. I will stick a paper bag over my head in the meantime!
Ecstatic at the progress that my skin had made, I decided to put some makeup on when I went out a couple of nights ago. Since I started TSW, I usually wear no makeup at all, and only recently started experimenting again with a little mascara and lipstick on the odd occasion. Anyway, this was different. This was the works: face powder, eyeshadow, lipstick and mascara. I also smeared serum through my hair to make it look glossy. I figured my skin would cope.
I figured wrong.
By the time I got home, I noticed a wet patch on my cheek. The skin on my cheek was starting to form small, water-filled blisters in response to the "irritation". The skin was incredibly itchy and rough. This was the first time it has wept fluid in many months. The next day, the blisters dried out and the skin is now like this:
I know it will be better in a few days. It will follow the usual pattern of going all dry and flaky before revealing nice new skin, but it has me concerned about any future use of cosmetics. I wonder whether I will ever be able to put a "face on" again.
So, I'm not too fussed during day to day stuff like taking the kids to school and visiting friends, but I do like to make a bit of effort if I am going out for the evening. It is nice to look human once in a while! The ironic thing was that when I went out, my friend told me how nice I looked. The aftermath is not too pretty though!
TSW makes the skin incredibly sensitive. In one of Dr Rapaports papers, he writes about a lady who went through TSW and at the end of about 2 years, she could wear makeup again with no problems. So maybe I will stick the makeup bag in the drawer for now and try again in a few months. Hey, maybe my skin will be so good that I won't need any cosmetics. I will stick a paper bag over my head in the meantime!
Monday, 8 October 2012
Day 333 Shedding Phase
Since my post last week, my face went through a mild flare and then a very dry shedding stage, which brought it full circle and pretty much back to normal again. The shedding phase is like a big "reveal" with lovely new skin underneath. I'm a bit like a caterpillar coming out of the cocoon!
My arms now look completely normal, with the only sign of tsw a pinkish rash on my inner arm which is barely noticeable.
My legs are also doing great and my torso is rash-free.
I read a comment on the itsan forum where someone had estimated that for every year of steroid use, it takes a month to heal. I hope it is true, because I used steroid creams for 15 years, so it should take 15 months to heal based on that theory, and I am nearly 11 months into withdrawals! Obviously healing times vary wildly between individuals based on the length of time and potency of steroids used. I wish there was a magic formula to work out healing times, but honestly don't believe there is. Dr Fukaya estimates that it takes roughly 30% of the time that the person was on steroids eek! That would be almost five years for me! I don't fancy waiting that long for good skin!
My estimate is that I will be fully healed by spring 2013.
My arms now look completely normal, with the only sign of tsw a pinkish rash on my inner arm which is barely noticeable.
My legs are also doing great and my torso is rash-free.
I read a comment on the itsan forum where someone had estimated that for every year of steroid use, it takes a month to heal. I hope it is true, because I used steroid creams for 15 years, so it should take 15 months to heal based on that theory, and I am nearly 11 months into withdrawals! Obviously healing times vary wildly between individuals based on the length of time and potency of steroids used. I wish there was a magic formula to work out healing times, but honestly don't believe there is. Dr Fukaya estimates that it takes roughly 30% of the time that the person was on steroids eek! That would be almost five years for me! I don't fancy waiting that long for good skin!
My estimate is that I will be fully healed by spring 2013.
Monday, 1 October 2012
Day 326 Sensitive Face
Boo. My face is flaring.
Flares this far into withdrawals are always hard to deal with, not because of their severity (this one is mild), but because I was getting used to having good skin.
The rest of my body is almost rash-free, but my face won't give up without a fight.
I know that when I flare these days, the flares are very short lived, so I just have to sit it out.
The skin on my face feels very sensitive, as if anything I put on it will bring me out in hives. I think it is made worse by sweating, so snuggling under the duvet with the heating on at night is not doing me any good!
I have temporarily gone back to using a daily antihistamine tablet.
I hope this post does not dishearten anyone, but I have always been totally honest about my skin's progress. Flares and cycles are all part of TSW and it seems I may have longer to go than I expected.
Flares this far into withdrawals are always hard to deal with, not because of their severity (this one is mild), but because I was getting used to having good skin.
The rest of my body is almost rash-free, but my face won't give up without a fight.
I know that when I flare these days, the flares are very short lived, so I just have to sit it out.
The skin on my face feels very sensitive, as if anything I put on it will bring me out in hives. I think it is made worse by sweating, so snuggling under the duvet with the heating on at night is not doing me any good!
I have temporarily gone back to using a daily antihistamine tablet.
I hope this post does not dishearten anyone, but I have always been totally honest about my skin's progress. Flares and cycles are all part of TSW and it seems I may have longer to go than I expected.
Saturday, 29 September 2012
Day 324 Morning Brew Blog
Another Red Skin blog has come to my attention and has been added to my ever expanding list on the right.
http://morningsbrew.blogspot.co.uk/ is one to check out. The lady who writes the blog is 5 weeks into withdrawals, so early days indeed. I wish her speedy healing.
I'm so happy that people are writing about this subject. We are buiding a huge body of evidence that cannot be refuted. Remember to take lots of photos folks, even if it the last thing you feel like doing. The improvements are amazing. I saw a photo on the itsan site of a young boy who had been desperately ill at the beginning of withdrawals, even needing hospitalization. These days, he is like a different child, with lovely, healed skin! Pictures paint a thousand words.
http://morningsbrew.blogspot.co.uk/ is one to check out. The lady who writes the blog is 5 weeks into withdrawals, so early days indeed. I wish her speedy healing.
I'm so happy that people are writing about this subject. We are buiding a huge body of evidence that cannot be refuted. Remember to take lots of photos folks, even if it the last thing you feel like doing. The improvements are amazing. I saw a photo on the itsan site of a young boy who had been desperately ill at the beginning of withdrawals, even needing hospitalization. These days, he is like a different child, with lovely, healed skin! Pictures paint a thousand words.
Friday, 28 September 2012
Day 323 Josh’s Blog
Apologies again for the lack of updates, I've had a crazy, busy week again.
Skin-wise, things are better than ever. Each morning I wake up and notice more improvements. The stubborn areas on my inner arms and legs have faded right down to pale pink and it won't be long before they are completely normal. My skin is lovely and soft with a lot less flaking.
My mantra throughout this process has always been to use the minimum amount of moisturiser possible. I cannot stress this point enough. I got through many tubes of cream in the early months, as I needed them in order to move my arms, neck and legs. Over time, the amount needed has diminished. At this 10 month stage, the only area that I moisturise is the area around my mouth, which can be a little flaky first thing. The body knows what it needs to heal and does not appreciate being slathered in potential allergens. Once this process is over, I hope to be off the moisturisers completely.
Over time, the amount of people blogging about Red Skin Syndrome has increased, and I am glad to list my fellow bloggers on the right hand side of the page. Please visit their blogs as they are all written from different perspectives and are most valuable to those starting off on the steroid-free road.
The newest blogger on the block is a guy from Australia called Josh, who has rather bravely included video excerpts on his blog. Reading it, I noticed so many similarities between what he is going through (swollen, red skin) and what I experienced in the early months. It will be great to see how he improves over the coming months.
Blogging is great therapy and gives us power when we feel helpless. More bloggers, please!
Skin-wise, things are better than ever. Each morning I wake up and notice more improvements. The stubborn areas on my inner arms and legs have faded right down to pale pink and it won't be long before they are completely normal. My skin is lovely and soft with a lot less flaking.
My mantra throughout this process has always been to use the minimum amount of moisturiser possible. I cannot stress this point enough. I got through many tubes of cream in the early months, as I needed them in order to move my arms, neck and legs. Over time, the amount needed has diminished. At this 10 month stage, the only area that I moisturise is the area around my mouth, which can be a little flaky first thing. The body knows what it needs to heal and does not appreciate being slathered in potential allergens. Once this process is over, I hope to be off the moisturisers completely.
Over time, the amount of people blogging about Red Skin Syndrome has increased, and I am glad to list my fellow bloggers on the right hand side of the page. Please visit their blogs as they are all written from different perspectives and are most valuable to those starting off on the steroid-free road.
The newest blogger on the block is a guy from Australia called Josh, who has rather bravely included video excerpts on his blog. Reading it, I noticed so many similarities between what he is going through (swollen, red skin) and what I experienced in the early months. It will be great to see how he improves over the coming months.
Blogging is great therapy and gives us power when we feel helpless. More bloggers, please!
Friday, 21 September 2012
Day 316 Improvement
I know the gaps between the blog posts are getting bigger. I suppose it is just a sign that I am doing well and that my skin is no longer the big issue in my life.
I had a nice compliment today from an elderly friend who I went to visit today. She said that my skin was looking great! It is lovely when others notice the improvement in my skin and it is a big confidence booster.
I feel like I am chugging to the finish line slowly. My fellow blogger Rochelle is seeing major improvements at 16 months off the creams, so I am confident that my skin will soon be 100% better.
My arms and legs are continuing to improve dramatically, but my face is looking a bit "sunburned" this week, with pinkness on my cheeks and a bit of peeling. Nothing major though. I think it may be due to the cold, wet weather as I am outside a lot. Better than being stuck ill on the settee indoors though.
I had a nice compliment today from an elderly friend who I went to visit today. She said that my skin was looking great! It is lovely when others notice the improvement in my skin and it is a big confidence booster.
I feel like I am chugging to the finish line slowly. My fellow blogger Rochelle is seeing major improvements at 16 months off the creams, so I am confident that my skin will soon be 100% better.
My arms and legs are continuing to improve dramatically, but my face is looking a bit "sunburned" this week, with pinkness on my cheeks and a bit of peeling. Nothing major though. I think it may be due to the cold, wet weather as I am outside a lot. Better than being stuck ill on the settee indoors though.
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