On the first day of Christmas TSW gave me to me a spreading and worsening rash. On the second day of Christmas TSW gave to me two raw sleeves, and a spreading and worsening rash. On the third day of Christmas TSW gave me to me three days of itching, two raw sleeves, and a spreading and worsening rash. On the fourth day of Christmas TSW gave to me four hours sleep three days itching two raw sleeves, and a spreading and worsening rash. On the fifth day of Christmas TSW gave to me five open wounds four hours sleep three days itching two raw sleeves, and a spreading and worsening rash. On the si ..read more

I heard someone say this last week and it really struck deep. It was a podcast conversation with a mother discussing her child’s ‘ugly eczema’ and it made me feel so judged, triggered and challenged. Now I don’t want to get into blaming this mother, I love her podcast and think she’s talented, funny and a very kind person. So I’m not even going to tell you who it was. But I wanted to challenge this knee jerk way we have as a nation of seeing things as ugly whey the don’t look so perfect and healthy. Because it made me realise I do think my eczema is ugly. It hurt so badly because deep down I a ..read more

Going through topical steroid withdrawal these past few years has taught me so much. It’s been very hard to go out into the world with a face that doesn’t look like anyone else. It’s shocking and dramatic and I don’t blame people for noticing but I do hate it when people feel they have a right to my story. If you’ve ever said something and wished you could retract it, hit the rewind button and take it all back, here’s some advice that could help. I’m talking to you and to anyone who has looked at a friend or a stranger and seen their pain and suffering and decided to share a suggestion or enq ..read more

When was the last time you saw someone on TV, in a film, a sitcom, in a magazine or an advert for skin care products who actually had even the tiniest blemish? Representation of ‘real skin’ in our media needs to be addressed as a priority. I’m not saying all products must show really serious skin conditions but we rarely see anyone like us represented anywhere. Here are the beautiful models on the day I joined the photoshoot. From left to right: Katie, Me, Jen and Bianca. The skincare and cosmetic industry is messed up I hate the skincare industry because most of it is unnecessary and expensiv ..read more

No one knows how many people have topical steroid withdrawal (TSW). This condition is drastically underestimated because the vast majority of those experiencing topical steroid addiction (TSA) and TSW are undiagnosed, dismissed and end up going through the withdrawal process alone. The reason is that we just don’t know how many people would go into TSW because patients are moved onto other immunosuppressants and biologic medications which can mask TSW. And when our skin does get worse, inevitably our doctors tell us it’s just worsening chronic adult eczema and to get back on those topical ste ..read more

I am so thrilled to share that my blog has been voted in the Top 10 Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW) blogs by Feedspot. What is topical steroid withdrawal? If you’re new to this blog you might not have heard of TSW, it’s an intragenic (caused by medication) condition that can affect anyone who uses topical or oral (the name it’s quite cutting it here) steroids, and sometimes it can happen after even a short time using mild topical steroids. I am four and half years into TSW myself and slowly healing. After over 40 years or sporadic use of topical steroids I finally worked out why my rebound fl ..read more

Well, it finally got me! After managing not to catch Covid-19 through the whole pandemic, my body finally succumbed. Many people have begun to forget about Covid now; it’s a bad dream, a distant memory, not a concern any more. Certainly since government advice is that we don’t even need to test or isolate any more, it seems like Covid might be on the way out. Worried about Covid and Asthma? Ever since I first heard about covid and got the call to be careful and shield at home, asthma as a complication of Covid has been a real worry for me. If you’ve ever felt the lack of oxygen getting to you ..read more

Going through topical steroid withdrawal these past few years has taught me so much. It’s been very hard to go out into the world with a face that doesn’t look like anyone else. It’s shocking and dramatic and I don’t blame people for noticing but I do hate it when people feel they have a right to my story. If you’ve ever said something and wished you could retract it, hit the rewind button and take it all back, here’s some advice that could help. I’m talking to you and to anyone who has looked at a friend or a stranger and seen their pain and suffering and decided to share a suggestion or enq ..read more

Going through topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) is hands down the hardest thing I’ve ever decided to do. I was going to write ‘done’, but it’s not done yet. At nearly 4.5 years in now I’m still experiencing TSW symptoms: Inflammation on my face, called red face syndrome Facial swelling that cycles into crusting and flaking on my face Loss of all my eyebrows again for the fourth time. I don’t like how I look without eye brows. Collagen stripping and deep crevices, like wrinkles but not the same as they itch deep inside I don’t like how i look in the mirror. I look ill, old, red, puffy and it ma ..read more

This one’s for all you clinicians, nurses, doctors and medical experts out there. I know some of you read this. You could earn money for answering surveys based on your experience as a clinician or health care expert. Make your mark on market research by taking Sermo’s paid medical surveys for physicians. Who are Sermo? Physicians, join Sermo to swap insights and get paid for your medical knowledge. Engaging with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries, Sermo offer a unique physician-only online community that helps members to improve patient care, earn additional income and discuss m ..read more