A hairstylist who struggled with eczema detailed how she ended up turning into painful "elephant" skin after giving up her prescription steroid cream for the first time in 20 years.
Christine Tran, from Sydney, was diagnosed with a skin condition at the age of 5 and took various topical steroid creams as recommended by her doctor.
For nearly two decades, she noticed that the drug had aggravated her condition, leaving her skin extremely dry and flaky.
Every morning, she vacuums the scaly flakes off the bed and constantly changes the bloodstained sheets.
As she aged, her skin deteriorated, and she gradually received more potent treatments until she found that the highest potency no longer seemed to work.
Christine Tran developed painful "elephant" skin after giving up her steroid cream. Photo by Christine Tran
Two years ago, she resolved to stop using all steroids, hoping that her skin would heal on its own without moisture — but her decision came at an unbearably painful price.
She began suffering from topical steroid withdrawal disorder (TSW)—a rare serious skin condition that was triggered after she stopped using the therapy altogether.
According to Healthline, TSW isn't well understood, and researchers don't know how many people have the disease or why some people react this way.
For Christine, the pain was unbearable.
The test of the "roller coaster"
"It's a roller coaster," Christine, now 26, told 7Life in an exclusive interview.
"When I stopped taking steroid creams, my skin became red and puffy. My face and eyelids are swollen, my eyelids... My entire neck, chest, arms, armpits and even my nipples were swollen.
"It hurts to move."
The hairstylist has suffered from eczema since he was five years old. Photo by Christine Tran
When she was just five years old, she said, her doctors began prescribing topical steroid creams when she showed "the first signs of mild eczema."
"The creases in my arms and legs were scratching so much that they were bleeding — but it was just a small patch at the time," she said.
"We are advised to apply 2 to 3 times a day – that's all.
"Initially, steroid creams will work. I stop using it once the eczema is gone, but after a few months, it gets worse. ”
Growing up, Christine said, she was never told or provided any medical information about "steroid-dependent creams."
The photos were taken within days of abandoning topical steroid cream in April 2020. Photo by Christine Tran
Christine says she has been prescribed the strongest dose of steroid cream since she was 16.
"I used it less often at first, but when I started hair at the age of 20, I had a lot of redness and swelling on my skin," she explains.
"I went to see a new doctor who advised me to apply it 3 times a day for a few days and stop it when my condition improved.
"But the situation is not getting better.
"It only cleared my skin one day, and then it got worse the next day."
"I'm angry"
She decided to see another GP to get a second opinion.
"He could only say 'why didn't you quit'. I was angry," she recalled.
The skin around her neck began to crack and peel – five months after starting the water-free treatment. Photo by Christine Tran
Christine showed what her hands looked like two years apart. Photo by Christine Tran
By the time she was 24, steroid creams were no longer effective, so she began to stop treatment.
"The strange thing is that when I used steroid creams, I only used them in small amounts like topical treatments," she explains.
"I've never painted it all over the place. I just put it on part of the neck, part of the hand, in the folds of the arms and in the folds of the legs.
"But it has gotten to the point where my body is addicted to steroid creams, which would manifest itself if I didn't use it in a day."
"Ultimately, the strongest dose of steroid cream didn't do anything for me."
Nothing
But she still uses moisturisers heavily – from high-end products to every 'gentle' option she can find in a pharmacy, which is recommended by GPs.
"I was in pain, but I thought the best thing to do was apply moisturizer because that's what we've been taught all our lives," she said.
"I apply moisturizer to open wounds and every time it stings and my skin turns red.
"I thought it was normal. I don't know better.
"But everything that is 'gentle' to the skin is not on me. It stings every time I apply it, but what else can be done? ”
Group photo before starting water-free treatment in April 2021. Photo by Christine Tran
Her "biggest" challenge was finding anything that could treat her skin.
"I tried a lot of different approaches, but nothing seemed to work," she said.
"I've tried wet wraps, sleeping with gloves to avoid scratches, granola baths, but none of these worked for me."
Daily struggles
Because her skin was extremely dry and flaky, sleep became a problem.
"I can't sleep," she explained.
"I had blood on my sheets, I had a fever at night, and I woke up sweating profusely and itching all over. I had to change the sheets all the time. ”
Christine says going to the gym is another challenge.
"I used to go to the gym in a sports bra, but I felt ugly and didn't want to show my localized steroid withdrawal symptoms, so I had to wear a loose shirt to the gym," she said.
"Training in the gym is also hard. The salt in my sweat will sting my eyelids, face, lips, neck... In the air. But I have to get through. ”
She was very angry when her GP advised her to "quit" her hairdressing job. Photo by Christine Tran
She described her shower as "a little soothing," but as soon as she stepped out, she could feel uncomfortable.
"The water on my skin feels really good, but it makes my skin dry. As soon as I left the water, I would feel pain again," she said.
Good and bad
As she struggles with pain, she does everything she can to treat her skin.
"It got worse over time," she recalls.
"Some days are better, some days are worse."
She noticed that the pain intensified in the summer.
"Sweating irritates my skin," she said.
Outbreak in November 2021. Photo by Christine Tran
During her first year of giving up steroid creams, Christine says her skin recovery keeps changing.
"My skin didn't heal properly because I stopped using steroid creams. During my first year at TSW, my skin was fine one week but reddened the next," she recalls.
"It will come back when I think I'm healed."
No moisture-proof treatment
To heal her skin, Christine began a water-free treatment (NMT) developed by a Japanese dermatologist that involves removing all steroids and moisturizers and limiting her daily water intake to 1-1.5 liters.
The treatment works by drying out the skin and prompting it to regenerate moisture.
Australian records her skin during moisture-free care.
"My skin is so dependent on creams that my body forgets how to create its own things on the inside," she explains.
"NMT works by saying that if your skin is cut or bruised, it needs to heal.
"You're taught to put a bandage on first, but you need to dry it to scab over, and new skin will grow underneath."
turning point
She drinks only 1.5 liters of water a day, avoids moisturizers and only takes cold showers.
"Once a week or every 10 days, I take a quick cold shower. In and out," she explained.
"When I really need it, I use unscented baby soap. It will dry me out, but I will dry my skin and peel off.
"My skin is starting to heal at an amazing rate. It will look very ugly and dry, but it is so comfortable.
"My skin no longer feels tingling after moisturizing."
Her skin struggled when the weather warmed up in January 2022. Photo by Christine Tran
By February 2022, her skin began to improve. Photo by Christine Tran
To help heal her skin, Christine says she also follows a high-alkaline diet.
This includes eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking plenty of water, and reducing your intake of sugar, alcohol, meat, and processed foods.
"Amazing" results
Now two years later, she says she feels "absolutely wonderful."
"I've only recently become happy with my skin, although to normal people it still looks dry and looks like 'elephant's skin,'" she said.
"But my skin doesn't bleed anymore. Now scars appear more on the surface.
"My legs are probably recovering the best, mostly smooth, and the eczema on my inner thighs is gone.
"My nipples and chest are completely restored.
"The main thing is that my arms, wrists and hands still itch and it looks like my body is the worst, but it still looks 100 times better than before.
"I've been off steroid creams for about two years. It was the best decision I ever made. ”
Christine said her face has been "completely healed," but the parts around her body are still recovering. Photo by Christine Tran
Christine said her face has been "completely healed," but some parts around her body are still recovering.
"The sweat on my neck still makes me itchy, my wrinkles are deep, my skin is thick, but overall there is no bleeding or scabs," she said.
"I can tell from the feeling I feel when I swim in the sea that I'm recovering well.
"Before, when I was still using steroid creams, it was horrible and once I came into contact with saline, everything would sting.
"Now, when I go into the sea, I don't feel pain at all, which means there are no more open wounds and scars."
For those who are experiencing localized steroid withdrawal, Christine says your skin may get worse before it gets better.
"Some days look great, you think it's going well, and then it's going to be bad," she said.
"But it's all part of the process."
An Australian barber with eczema left painful "elephant" skin after the body "addicted" to topical steroid creams, it was terrible, everything would sting, I was in a lot of pain, it hurt to move
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