lemma health

Edit: Take this as a grain of salt please. You may have had TSW, you may have not. I don't need people calling me an idiot for saying TSW is rare. In this sub we see so many people scared to death that using hydrocortisone once will result in TSW. It won't. Hydrocortisone would have to be used for years upon years on very thin skin to even effect you in the slightest. Steroids are the first line treatment for a reason, and you don't need to be scared to use them. To get TSW you've gotta been using something like mometasome (elocon) or clobestol (Dermovate) for years, consistently. Even then, TSW isn't fully understood by dermatologists. If your eczema flares up after taking a steroid or applying a steroid, you probably still have a flare with active eczema, and you need to control it. Avoiding steroids does nothing but cause you harm. TSW isn't even fully understood yet. Yes it's definitely a thing, but we don't understand the root causes of it. The fearmongering (kinda) on this sub over steroids is criminal. They aren't dangerous. They are the best option for eczema. This is all coming from someone who has had active, severe eczema for 3 years. I don't have TSW, and I use steroids frequently. At the end of the day, you are probably fine. Keep using your steroid as directed by the doctor, and wean off them if you've been on it a while. Rant over ❤️

I use hydrocortisone lotion on my face to manage flare ups that come every couple of weeks. I use it as prescribed which is twice a day for a week. After three days it’s calmed a lot. The internet has stigmatised steroid creams as dangerous which I hate. Because of that I stopped using steroid creams for my eczema which was hydrocortisone and lucoid for about two and a half months. IT WAS ABSOLUTE HELL! I know TSW is real but I feel like if steroid creams do work for people who suffer with eczema then why not keep using? I would rather live a comfortable life then living with pain mentally and physically. I just want some reassurance I guess. I only use it when I need to and not for long periods of time.

I put hydrocortisone on my face as I had a bad flare. I already have thin skin by I’m afraid that there will be a rebound. Could anyone please share their experience with topical steriods and how they’re able to manage it without these rebounds??

So my allergist prescribed me a 0.1% triamcinalone ointment for below face and 2.5% hydrocortisone for face. He said to use it 2 times a day 1 week on and 1 week off. Will this cause topical steroid withdrawal? What do you guys think?

i’ve been to the doctors today for multiple reasons, one being my skin. when discussing treatments with the doctor, i mentioned how i don’t want to use any more topical steroids since they don’t work to fix the root cause and only work for the time they’re used. i also said how i don’t want to use them since they cause more issues in the long run such as thinned skin and tsw. the doctor basically told me to not listen to people online or google, and steroids are fine to use. also when telling him i didn’t want to use them, he said there’s nothing else he can do to help me if i’m not willing to accept the use of steroids. i know it’s their job to hand out help with the resources they have available and as general practitioners they don’t actually specialise in skin specifically, but i do think with eczema being as common as it is, more research should be done on steroids and other treatments by doctors. however, he has referred me to get blood tests so hopefully this is a step in the right direction.

I would often screenshot bits of information on here thinking “hmm maybe this will work” and finally found a routine that works perfectly for me thanks to you all. I’ve had severe eczema for 20+ years, just finished a course of accutane (very drying), and suffered through this winter so here is what has been successful for me - I hope this helps someone out too! 1. Showering nightly and using Cetaphil Eczema Restoraderm Body Wash and only Head & Shoulders hair products. 2. Within THREE MINUTES of getting out of shower applying: Cetaphil Eczema Restoraderm Lotion, Hydrocortisone Valerate (0.2%), then Aquaphor to lock it all in! 3. Blow drying hair. Sleeping in wet hair/air drying actually harvests more bacteria! 4. Drinking a bottle of water and taking a type of antihistamine before bed. Taking an antihistamine also makes me drowsy, so I get a full nights sleep. 5. Silk bonnet or headband to keep hair away from face/body at night depending on how long your hair is. 6. Exercise!!! Helps with circulation. Also be sure to rinse off afterwards and do a moisturizing routine. 7. Lysol Fabric Disinfectant spray on furniture items to keep other bacteria away. 8. Tide Free and Gentle clothing detergent for those who have sensitivities to fragrances or harsh chemicals. 9. Vanicream and Aquaphor (slugging) for face. 10. Hydrate!!! Thank you so much again to everyone on this sub. Eczema can be life-sucking and confusing, but we got this.

Okay, so first of all I'm not a doctor nor an expert. But this doctor visit, where I was told how to properly use hydrocortisone changed my skin so much in such a quick time, that I need to share if someone is struggling. Because I couldn't find it on the internet or elsewhere. 1. Do your skincare as you would normally do, hydrate a little more than usual and apply hydrocortisone only on places where eczema is showing (as a last step in your skincare). 2. 7/3 rule. Use for seven days, then put it aside for three and then you can start again for another seven days... It's so you don't create dependency on it! In the end it's really simple, but I couldn't find if I should do my skincare before or just apply it on a dry skin. I hope it will help someone! And if everyone knows about it, then I'm happy too!

i've told my story a few times in comments here, but worth sharing as a post. i've had eczema for my entire life (f20) and it had gotten so bad as a child that i developed staph OSSA, which went unnoticed until it turned into septic osteomyelitis. it was originally thought that i had several allergies (was diagnosed with 20+) and had been on immunotherapy shots from ages 7-13. these cleared my skin tremendously and even for the 7 years after... until this year. i had been having on and off eczema flares since january, what i originally thought were hives. these didnt look like my normal eczema flares. it was manageable with benadryl and my usual lotions, until overnight it got a million times worse. in august, my eczema was covering the backs of my legs completely, what still looked like hives. then it spread to my arms, my stomach, my chest, my back, and my scalp. i was miserable, barely sleeping from itching and the fear of getting another infection. at first i thought i had idiopathic urticaria due to the nature of the eczema. then, i thought it was duhrings disease (i have celiac and live with 7 other girls, none of whom are celiac, so i thought it was cross contamination). it turns out that my issue is just hot water. every time i shower or bathe, i break out and the eczema doesn't go away. in october, i went to my doctors who prescribed me prednisone and a low dosage TS, and it went away for the week i took it. since it was a weeks dose, it meant i couldn't taper off. my skin suddenly was thick, scaly red all up and down my arms the minute i went off of it. i went to my doctors in tears, as i was losing all self confidence, the ability to sleep, the ability to focus at school, and the ability to be around friends without sickening jealousy. i completely isolated myself these few months. i was prescribed another topical steroid, which cleared my skin nearly instantly. i was prescribed it for 21 days -- nobody would've known i was suffering this skin condition if i hadn't told them. during these 21 days, i managed to get into a relationship with the most amazing man ever. but after the 21 days in november, my skin was getting itchier by the moment. i went to my dermatologist, who said my eczema was spreading over 80% of my body -- she prescribed me more prednisone, clobetasol, hydrocortisone for my face (which was now flaring up and hadn't before) as well as zyrtec and singulair to help with itching. these worked mostly, but i found that clobetasol wasn't working as well as i thought it would. i soon went to the allergist who wrote me a prescription for dupixent. i learned that dupixent would be my only option, as my previous history with severe infections would make taking JAK inhibitors insanely risky. but, insurance denied my dupixent request. i was put on protopic, a non-steroid topical, and my skin broke out into small bumps, what seemed to look like razor burn. they didn't itch whatsoever, but still this made me absolutely miserable. i was scared to use hot water to shower and risk a flare, knowing how bad it was a few months ago. i've been exhausted throughout all of this, looking for answers and battling the depression that came with it. i stopped using the protopic, which helped clear my skin, and started taking the zyrtec and singulair (which i didn't take when prescribed since i thought that was silly), and my skin is a bit itchy but not breaking out into flares anymore. but FINALLY, after my last checkup with my allergist (who said that i've done absolutely everything i possibly could've to treat this), i FINALLY GOT APPROVED FOR DUPIXENT. i will update on this with how it works for me once i get it, but i'm extremely hopeful.

Basically I'm sick of heading to my GP and I soon as I say the word "eczema" they send me on my way with a bottle of emollient and some kind of steroid. My eczema gets me down a lot and I want to hear from people in my situation! My flareups are pretty bad in the usual places, but the worse bits are on my face and neck, especially my eyelids and behind my eyes. My eyes get incredibly itchy and flakey and I get so self conscious about it! I once forgot my creams whilst away for a job interview at Dolby Audio and was so self-conscious about my horrid flakey red face that I just totally ballsed up the interview :( I buy myself Aveeno as a moisturiser, which I find great, E45 Anti Itch Cream and use 1% hydrocortisone. Everyone knows about the whole "skin thinning" business, but it's the only thing that works for me after years and years of searching. I usually put a tiny a bit of hydrocortisone on my eyelids 2 days out of 3 and have been doing for a few years now. Am I putting myself at risk here? Any advice would be great, I don't want my skin to go to shit any more than it already has!