Look up any article online about the side effects of steroid creams and you will find the word "Atrophy" features rather prominently.
The dictionary definition of atrophy is:
"To waste away, wither, or deteriorate"
Here is a picture of how it affected me:
Atrophy can occur when someone is using strong steroids on a part of the body for a prolonged period of time, but interestingly, it can also occur once someone has stopped using steroids, which was true in my case. During the rebound phenomenon, it is common for areas of skin to atrophy, which makes the skin look older than it is. This has a shocking efect when it occurs in young children, as it can them look old.
Here are some more images of steroid induced atrophy in other people going through withdrawal:
"...the atrophy shows up AFTER discontinuing steroids. While the
skin is on steroids it is still benefiting somewhat from the
anti-inflammatory effect of the TS. Then after the skin is in withdrawal,
it becomes inflamed, dry, less healthy, loses elasticity, etc. The atrophy
definitely reverses itself. I have seen it in my own body. It just takes
time. Scratching makes the atrophy worse because the skin thickens and then
the atrophy/wrinkles look worse. "
"Yes **** got the atrophy after stopping steroids, a 7 year old boy with the
hands and feet of a elephant. And an elderly one at that! That is slow
getting better, but ****'s hands are now normal shaped. "
" Now that most of my swelling has gone down, I am left
with loose skin around my knees, around my ankles and a little on my
elbows and knuckles (I still cannot get any of my rings over my
knuckles). I am wondering if my skin will every "tighten up" again or
has it been permanently streched and lost its elasticity? (I hope not
because it is really unsightly!)"
Atrophy is one of the many unpleasant symptoms of both steroid addiction and steroid withdrawal. Now that I have been off the creams for 5 months, my skin has a lot more elasticity and it seems that the atrophy does reverse iteself eventually upon complete cessation of steroid creams. Therefore atrophy is not a permanent side effect of corticosteroid use.
6 comments:
Great post Lou, really informative.
Ooops. I had to delete and repost because I found a million spelling errors! Hah.
Hi there. I ran across your blog awhile back when I was searching for an answer to my own skin issues. I have always had sensitive, dry skin, and diagnosed with eczema as a little kid. There was never one particular thing that would trigger an outbreak, and never did the outbreak look identical to the last. Sometimes it resembled a heat rash, sometimes small bumps, sometimes itchy, sometimes just dry. The variations in symptoms and causes made it difficult to ever remedy my problems. I have been using steroid creams for three decades.
Until recently. I reminded myself how awful they are for potential side affects, and threw them all away. I had a long talk with my new doctor about my issues and he suggested a couple of remedies that I found ridiculous. He told me to try using organic, unpasteurized, apple cider vinegar as a toner... after washing my face with unscented, mild soap. He also suggested I try using a dandruff shampoo on my troubled areas once a day. I am sure with your extensive research that you have heard both ideas... but I still felt like I should tell you what I have discovered.
I did one side of my face with the ACV and one with the Selsun Blue shampoo, as well as one arm and one hand. After a just a day I could see and feel a difference on both sides. The shampoo side felt even better than the vinegar side, but both seemed to be improving my skin after just a few days. The redness was vanishing, but both were making my skin REALLY dry.
But, dry I can deal with. So I continued... and now it has been about 10 days. Redness, itchy, bumps... all gone. My hands no longer look wrinkled and red and irritated. My face is clear and soft. It is truly a miracle. The Selsun Blue worked twice as fast, but I was hesitant during every application because, well, it is dandruff shampoo! And it has a LOT of bad junk in it... and to put it on my face? Bah. Well, it worked. The ACV stung like hell and was a slower heal... but it is also completely organic and safe.
As for whether or not I have to maintain my new skin either of these, I am not sure. I have heard that drining a couple spoonfuls of ACV a day is a magical treatment for troubled skin from the inside out... so maybe I will try that?
My doctor explained to me that crap products like cortizone creams heal initially with the intention to create an addiction and require long-term use. That is the same thing I discovered about cheap chapsticks... they are specifically made to offer immediate relief but are made to dry out your lips (even more than they were before!) so that you're stuck buying more and more and more.
Anyways, I wanted to share my story with you and see if maybe you've tried either of these solutions. I wish you the very best of luck with everything, and hope you find an answer!
Best Wishes!
Hi, and thank you so much for posting your experiences on my blog. It would be great if you could join us on the google forum and share your information with the other members, as it is really interesting.
I have heard about the benefits of cider vinegar. My research has found that most people have had success with a particular type which is called "cider vinegar with the mother". I have tried regular cider vinegar on my skin in the past. It dodn't irritate me but it didn't improve things much either. Some of our forum members use it in the bath as it reduces bacteria on the skin.
I have also heard good things about the Selsun blue shampoo. A friend of mine uses it, but I had not heard of it used on the face before. If it works for you, then you should continue, because anything that alleviates this steroid-induced hell should be welcomed.
I hope you have lots of success with your anti-steroid journey. Time heals, and remember, over 2000 people have already been healed. Your 3 decades of use may mean that it takes you more than a year to fully recover, but it will be worth it.
Hopefully chat with you on the google forum soon!
Hello! Was researching on skin atrophy due to steroid use. I had a rash on both my elbows and a doctor prescribed hydrocortisone on them. I used them for about 2 weeks until I noticed the skin atrophy. Would you know how long it takes for skin to recover itself from skin atrophy? I'm hoping that the skin atrophy is not permanent. Thank you for your time.
Hi.
The steroids really are not supposed to be used for as long as two weeks, but you are fortunate that hydrocortisone is only mild.
Please consider joining the Itsan forum where you can chat to others about your experiences. There are a few people on there who had similar reactions to short-term steroid use and they may be able to give you an idea how long it took their skin to recover.
I used steroids daily on my skin for 15 years, so I expect a long withdrawal process.
Thanks louise for the quick response. I have asked to join the Itsan forum. I will post on that forum once I am able to. Hoping that this is not permanent as I only used it for 2 weeks.
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