List of the most popular hashtags for theme #STEROIDINDUCEDECZEMA

POST 1 OF 3 ⁣⠀ This past week I gathered all my strength and courage and I put myself in front of my own camera to create a special set of self portraits. Today, I am sharing those portraits in order to help raise awareness about a very preventable health condition called Red Skin Syndrome (RSS) AKA Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW).⁣ As some of you know, I struggle with severe eczema. To cope with that eczema, I was prescribed 5 different topical steroid creams and was told to use the creams for 2 weeks at a time, taking breaks between usage. After 6 months of using the creams on and off just as prescribed by my doctor, the creams stopped working. To solve this, my doctor kept prescribing higher potency steroid creams, and each of those creams also eventually stopped working, leaving my skin even worse than before. I was told my only option to "manage" my eczema was to take an immunosuppressant for the rest of my life or live with red, itchy skin forever.⁣ It wasn't until I saw the documentary @preventable_doc created by the amazing @blackvelvetink that I learned what I was actually suffering from: Red Skin Syndrome. RSS is the body's reaction to an addiction to topical steroids, and it reveals itself in the form of red rashes that look almost exactly like eczema (but worse). Because of this, many doctors and patients believe that their RSS is just worsening eczema, when in reality it is a condition CAUSED by the same creams that are supposed to be helping patients.⁣ The only way to recover from RSS is to go through Topical Steroid Withdrawal, which can take anywhere from a few months to 2+ years to fully heal the damaged skin. The recovery is long, painful, and something that no one should ever have to experience. Now I’m 2 months into my TSW, and the only thing that makes me feel better is spreading awareness so I can prevent someone else from having to experience it. PLEASE share this with anyone you know that suffers from eczema or has a loved one that struggles with it, and PLEASE click the link in my profile to watch & share the amazingly informative documentary about RSS and how TSW is exactly what the documentary title states: PREVENTABLE.

Day 1073 : When you’ve been through hell, you know heaven. Today heaven is smooth face skin which allowed me to put on some makeup. Swipe to see 6 months TSW and the flaky mess that my skin used to be. That sh*t cray. A reminder that I never used steroids on my face but the damage was spread through my system. #thisisnoteczema #steroidinducedeczema #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #redskinsyndrome #lifeaftertsw #healinghappens

I forgot to post my 14 month anniversary because my skin has been mostly stable these days. My main persisting symptom is the constant itchy feeling that gets worse at night and impacts other things like my sleep quality and the texture of my skin because I am always scratching. But I know this too shall pass. • Sending you all love and healing thoughts ✨ • #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #redskinsyndrome #steroidfree #steroidinducedeczema #thisisnoteczema #tsw #rss #healingnaturally #healinghappens

Day 460: I can’t believe how normal my face looks. I have make up on and have moisturised not so long ago which always makes it look better, but the lines around my smile are barely there and I feel like me. The second photo was me exactly one year ago, even wearing the same top and I was so miserable. Holy fucking hell I’m so excited for my life after this and I can’t wait for everyone to feel this feeling. My heart is bursting. #thisisnoteczema #topicalsteroidaddiction #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #redskinsyndrome #steroidinducedeczema #healinghappens #healingnaturally

Today is day 300 and I am just happy to say things have been stable. I’m still having super stressful weeks at work but my skin appears to not be getting any worse than what it is now (touch wood). I always wake up dry and flaky and gradually get itchier and more sore towards the evening and the cycle just repeats every day. Last Friday was my company’s Christmas event, which had a Winter Masquerade theme. Despite my rashy neck and arms and my wrinkly dry face I was able to put on make up and a nice dress and enjoy myself with my team. The hangover yesterday was horrible and my skin did punish me by being dryer and flakier than usual, but a weekend of rest, nice food, drinking loads of lemon grass tea and decorating for Christmas with my flatmates did me good. This week I will be 10 months since I quit steroids and I am feeling positive, hopeful and grateful, even if the road is hard. I wish you all a peaceful December ✨ #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #redskinsyndrome #tsw #rss #eczema #steroidfree #yesihaveheardofthemedicalmediumstopaskingmeabouthim #healingjourney #healinghappens #steroidinducedeczema

Day 466: some photos of the last week. My skin has been behaving really well since I started the new job. I think that having lower stress levels in my life and doing RLT every day is helping greatly. My face feels smoother and is even starting to look shiny and supple in some areas. I have days when I feel more like myself and have been better at dealing with my body dysmorphia, social anxiety and anxiety in general. Honestly, just the fact that I’m not stressed and overwhelmed with work for most of my day has had such a great impact on my skin and mental health and it shows how dangerous stress can really be. I’m really looking forward to this summer, as I believe some good healing is coming my way. #steroidinducedeczema #redskinsyndrome #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #topicalsteroidaddiction #steroidfree #healingnaturally #tsw

Day 412: Some snaps from the last 3 weeks. I don’t really count days anymore, as things have been more or less stable. I don’t really see much progress overall but I know I am still slowly getting better. I still have my bad days and I am still itching and scratching a lot. I don’t sleep very well and I am constantly in some degree of discomfort, and today I broke down and had a little cry in my boyfriends arms saying how tired of this I am, but despite all that, things are bearable and in comparison to this time last year I am a million times better. º Debating giving NMT a proper go to see if it helps with the itch and if it boosts my healing but I don’t really fancy the constant dry skin anymore, now that my skin is a little more tolerant of moisture. I am still not showering and I only moisturise my face twice a day. Also thinking of trying acupuncture this month. º I stopped drinking celery juice after 2 months and I can’t see I see any difference from when I was drinking celery juice so yeah, take that, magical medium. º And if you haven’t done so yet, please go watch Briana’s documentary @preventable_doc and share as much as you can. º #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #redskinsyndrome #steroidinducedeczema #healingnaturally #healinghappens #steroidfree #tsw #steroidawareness

Day 422: I’m flying back to London today and my skin feels absolutely smooth and supple, like it was before TSW. It only took 3 days on holidays to look like this. I know that going back to my daily routine in London will mean it won’t look like this for much longer but I am confident in knowing that I am still healing and that the wrinkles will go, the red dry skin will go and that in time I will go back to my normal self. Being stuck in the same healing phase for so long makes me think that sometimes this is how I’ll look forever and my skin won’t improve any more than this, but I just have to keep taking it easy and accept it will take however long it will take, but I will get there. #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #redskinsyndrome #steroidinducedeczema #steroidfree #healinghappens #healingnaturally

Day 324: Merry Christmas, my strong and inspiring warriors. My face has been blotchy and red and my body has been terribly itchy and this festive season was incredibly hard for me mentally. I have struggled daily to feel positive and love myself and be grateful. This year I didn’t get to go back home to spend Christmas with my family, but instead I spent it in London with two of my favourite people whom I love like family, @margaridasalvador and my boyfriend and their respective families. We exchanged presents, I ate my own homemade Christmas seitan roast and I had a lovely time, despite everything. This year has been a hell of a ride and now I am trying to focus on the new year and what I want to achieve for myself in 2019. I hope you all had a good time, despite our skin ailments. Much love and healing to all ✨ #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #redskinsyndrome #healingjourney #healingnaturally #steroidfree #steroidinducedeczema #tsw #rss #mentalhealthawareness