Will my skin ever heal?

A quick note before you read: "I am not a doctor, and this post isn't medical advice, just my honest, personal journey. While I always recommend seeing a doctor for medical concerns, your health choices are entirely your own. Please decide what feels right and safe for your own skin."

Living with the uncertainty of topical steroid withdrawal and severe eczema

If you’re going through it right now, there’s a good chance you’ve asked yourself this question more than once.

I know I did.

For many people experiencing TSW, the hardest part isn’t only the physical symptoms like the redness, burning, oozing, or flaking. It’s the uncertainty.

• Not knowing what’s normal.

• Not knowing how long topical steroid withdrawal recovery might take.

• Not knowing whether your skin will ever stabilise again.

The same uncertainty can exist when eczema suddenly becomes more severe or stops responding to treatments that once worked. When your skin changes in ways you don’t recognise, it can feel frightening and isolating.

I remember constantly searching Google for answers:

• How long does TSW last?

• Is this part of healing?

• Will my eczema ever calm down?

If you’re in that place right now, wondering whether your skin will recover, please know you’re not alone.

My Experience with Severe Eczema Treatments

Before I even began TSW, I had already been told my skin would never recover from severe eczema.

That conversation almost led to me giving up all hope.

It came from a dermatologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. By that point I had paid £200 for an appointment privately and already seen multiple specialists through the NHS. I was offered immunosuppressants like Cyclosporin, but was told I would need regular blood tests to monitor for potential kidney damage. I was also offered a topical immunosuppressant.

At that stage I felt exhausted by creams and scared to start something new without understanding the longer-term implications.

Since then, I’ve seen photos shared by people who described experiencing difficult reactions or withdrawal symptoms after stopping certain topical immunosuppressants. Some of those images looked like TSW. I don’t have personal experience with that, but seeing those accounts reinforced how cautious I felt at the time.

At the time my skin was already severe:

• Recurring infections

• Addiction to moisturisers

• Repeated courses of strong steroid creams

• Periods of oral steroids

From the outside it still looked like “just eczema”, but it behaved very differently from anything I had experienced growing up.

I started TSW before I knew it even existed. I just knew what I was currently using wasn’t working.

When things escalated, full-body oozing going through my clothes, burning skin and a constant thought I couldn’t switch off, I remember thinking: What have I done? How long is this going to last?

As I started researching online, I came across information about topical steroid withdrawal from the International Topical Steroid Awareness Network (ITSAN). It was only then that I realised that TSW existed.

Given my history of steroid use, I knew the journey wasn’t going to be short.

I was scared. I felt alone and that’s when I started looking for alternative treatments.

The Psychological Toll of Eczema and TSW

Living with severe eczema or topical steroid withdrawal means never quite knowing how your skin will behave from one day to the next.

You can wake up one day able to function, and the next day barely leave the house.

Plans become difficult to commit to because you don’t know what your skin will be like tomorrow, let alone in six months. Many people with unstable eczema recognise that feeling even without TSW.

"What I remember most is the shame. I was always ashamed to tell friends I had eczema, they probably knew but didn’t say anything. But when it got very unpredictable, I missed weddings and events, all at short notice, and lost friendships as a result"

Looking back, I realise I carried more shame than I needed to. Millions of people live with eczema and other skin conditions, but when you’re in the middle of it, it can feel like you’re the only one, especially as it can be so visible.

After a while it isn’t only the symptoms that wear you down, it’s the waiting.

You stop looking forward to things because cancelling becomes normal. Life continues around you while you feel stuck reacting to your skin. And when you feel desperate long enough, you start looking for answers wherever you can find them.

Navigating TSW Facebook Groups and Online Support

Early in TSW, like many others, I found myself constantly searching for reassurance. I spent a long time debating whether to post a photo in a Facebook TSW group. I didn’t want attention. I just wanted confirmation that what I was experiencing made sense.

The responses weren’t what I expected.

Some said it didn’t look like TSW or even severe eczema. Others said it looked horrific, like I had severe burns. I’ve since seen people leave these groups after similar experiences. I never posted another photo again, not even later when my skin improved.

The truth is, these online groups can quickly become completely overwhelming.

You ask one question or post a single picture, and you instantly get a flood of replies. Each person tells you to try something completely different. One tells you to cut out all dairy and gluten, another recommends a specific cream, and someone else says absolutely no creams at all. You end up sitting there with so many conflicting opinions that you don’t even know where to turn next.

Over time I realised something: during TSW you look for certainty wherever you can find it. But even if you share multiple photos, people are only seeing a snapshot. It can never show the full picture of what you’re living through.

Sometimes outside opinions make you feel better, sometimes they make you feel worse.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask for support if it feels right for you. Just know that replies are likely to vary. No two cases of TSW or eczema are the same, and people respond from their own stage of recovery.

An Important Note on Infections: I’ve also seen people post photos and be told their skin looks infected and to seek urgent medical help. Sometimes that advice may be important. If you notice signs of infection—increasing redness, spreading warmth, fever, or feeling generally unwell—don’t ignore it. Infections can escalate quickly, so it’s important to see a doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible.

Why healing is hard to predict

One of the most distressing parts of TSW is the lack of a clear timeline.

I remember constantly searching for stages or milestones, trying to work out where I was and how much longer it might last.

But recovery rarely follows a neat formula, or rigid stages. In my own experience it felt much more like cycles of improvement and flare-ups, something I explore further in Topical Steroid Withdrawal – Healing in Waves.

Experiences vary depending on factors like duration of steroid exposure, potency used, age, stress and general health. Eventually I realised comparison wasn’t helping, it was only making each day feel heavier.

Even during my worst phases, there were periods where my skin was calmer, sometimes even clear.

On difficult days I held onto those moments. They reminded me my skin wasn’t permanently stuck. If it had cleared before, it could clear again.

The Danger of "Miracle Creams" and Unlisted Ingredients

When you feel desperate long enough, you start looking for answers wherever you can find them. That desperation can make you incredibly vulnerable to "quick fixes" or miracle products.

I remember trying a Chinese herbal cream that promised amazing results. Within days of applying it, my skin was completely clear. It felt like a miracle. But when I stopped using it, my skin flared far worse than before.

I later discovered that many of these "natural" or "herbal" creams were independently tested and found to contain potent, unlisted topical steroids. By trying to escape steroids, I had accidentally been putting even stronger ones on my skin without knowing it.

Just because a product is sold on a mainstream platform like Amazon doesn't mean it's safe.

It’s easy to assume that if a major company sells something, it must be vetted and regulated. But marketplaces are full of third-party sellers, and unlisted ingredients can slip through the cracks easily.

If there’s one thing I learned from that exhausting cycle, it’s to be incredibly cautious when researching alternative treatments:

• Be cautious of unlisted ingredients that aren't independently verifiable or regulated.

• Be wary of expensive ‘coaching’ or one-size-fits-all recovery programs. I have never, and will never, charge people for advice because everyone's skin is individual and there is no single way to heal. Be highly aware of anyone claiming they have the one definitive cure behind a paywall.

• Look closely at testimonials and paid partnerships. If someone is being paid to promote a product or earning a heavy affiliate commission, they aren't going to say anything negative about it. Don't rely on sponsored reviews alone as absolute proof that a product will work for you.

Looking back, that experience taught me that true healing takes time. There are no safe shortcuts when your skin barrier is deeply compromised.

What I can say honestly about recovery

I can’t give guarantees. If someone offers you absolute certainty or a fixed timeline, it’s always worth questioning how they can possibly know that. 

But what I can do is share exactly what happened to me.

For a long time, nothing seemed to change. Weeks turned into months, and every single day felt identical. I kept waiting for a clear turning point—a specific moment where I would know for sure that healing had started. 

Instead, it came down to two major milestones. 

The first milestone: When the intense, constant oozing stopped

In the early days of TSW, the oozing was relentless. Within days of stopping topical steroids, fluid was literally dripping from my skin—from my body, my arms, and even my earlobes. Clothes would stick to me, and towels were soaked through. Every day felt completely overwhelming.

Then, one day, it just stopped. 

It didn’t disappear forever; it came back during later flares, on and off. But that first episode was by far the worst. When it finally settled, even temporarily, it was the first real sign that my body was actually capable of healing.

The second milestone: When I stopped relying on heavy moisturisers

In my case, I had been going through a full tub of Doublebase every single week. Slowly, I noticed my skin beginning to produce its own natural oils again. 

That was a massive moment for me. It wasn’t dramatic, and there was no overnight transformation, but it felt like my skin was finally remembering how to function on its own.

I was genuinely shocked. After years of believing my skin couldn't cope without constant support, seeing it regulate itself completely changed how I understood healing. Even now, that shift feels incredibly significant. 

(I’ve written more about my experience with moisturiser withdrawal during TSW and eczema)

Learning to live a normal life again

Over time, my skin changed. Not just the withdrawal symptoms, even the severe eczema that had existed before TSW began to really calm down. It didn't happen suddenly, and it didn't happen neatly, but it happened gradually.

One of the hardest parts of living with a chronic skin condition is the constant checking. You are always looking in the mirror, scanning for redness, and searching for signs of improvement or signs that things are getting worse. When your focus is that intense, it’s incredibly easy to miss the small, positive shifts.

Life didn’t return all at once. I just slowly realized I could do more and more without any issues.

After I healed, I remember sitting in a sauna with other people for the first time, just talking, relaxing, and suddenly realising something massive had changed. I felt normal. Not perfect, just normal. Considering that sweating used to trigger intense, maddening itching during TSW and severe eczema, that moment was unforgettable.

Even now, years later, I sometimes sit in a sauna quietly and feel a sense of disbelief that I can just exist there without any issues. The same goes for my training. Spending 20 minutes on a spin bike, sweating heavily without the fear of a massive flare-up, is something I once wouldn’t have thought possible. 

I don’t take those everyday moments for granted anymore

If you’re in the middle of it right now

If you’re reading this while everything feels stuck, please know it will not always feel this way, even if right now that feels completely impossible to believe. 

Healing doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes, it’s only visible when you look back. 

On the hardest days, just getting through the day is enough. While you wait for those bigger, long-term changes, the small things that make daily life more comfortable often matter more than anything else. 

There isn’t one single way to heal; your skin is entirely individual. What helps one person may not help another, and recovery rarely follows a fixed, linear path. That’s true whether you’re recovering from TSW or living with difficult, unpredictable eczema.

Where a Pheeal bath soak may fit into your routine

During my own worst periods, immediate physical comfort became my absolute priority. I just wanted to reduce the irritation, calm the flare-ups, and make my evenings a little more manageable. 

For some people, bathing feels much easier than showering when skin is dry, tight, or hyper-reactive. A soak can feel less harsh on broken skin and give you a safe, quiet space to settle.

That’s exactly why I created the Pheeal bath soak. I didn't design it as a miracle cure, but rather as a comforting tool to help me get through the day-to-day misery while my skin did the slow work of healing in the background. 

If you are looking for a way to bring some comfort to your skin today, you can find the full details, ingredients, and story behind our soak below.

👉 [Explore the Pheeal Bath Soak and Find Daily Skin Comfort]