Day 60

Hello, I hope everyone has an enjoyable Christmas.

Time for another weekly update. Day 60

Once again, I try my best to maintain my photo consistency by taking them at the same hour, same location, same posture. In case you are wondering, it is taken in my own room 8:00am every Sunday morning :)

From what I have observed so far, Day 60 is usually the turning point for many TSW victim where the skin condition will start to go for the worse. I am not sure if the same will happen to me and I am quite worried if it does... the last thing I like is to face my relatives on chinese new year (another 30 days) with a worsening rash.

Considering that my condition is so mild (as compared to all the TSW victim blog I saw), I am still not entirely sure if I am having TSW. Although I have a few scabs on my legs and toes, I don't really have large patches of red skin and definitely no burning skin so far.

Sometimes I starts to wonder if I'm just having diabetes so that is why the rash/wound on my leg refuse to heal. Sometimes I also wonder if I have skin cancer which is also well known for sores/scabs that does not heal over the months. But I remember my blood test taken earlier this year shows that I am healthy. Anyways, I have already tried a dozen natural methods and alternative treatment in the past 4 years and nothing works. For the time being, I guess I have nothing much to lose and just continue the journey with the mindset of TSW. Perhaps if my condition starts to improves in the next couple month, then I will be confident to declare myself as "Mild TSW" in the first place and I will start to spread this recovery proudly haha

Left Face slightly improved this week.

Right face is around the same.

Left forehead improved slightly

But eyebrow area still itch very often. Ugh

Right forehead and eyebrow constantly itch every day.

Big toe looks good now!

Right Leg

This is my eczema worst area and is still getting worse... I am a bit worried

I remember I use quite a lot of steroid cream in the past here. sorry right leg, please do your best and recover ok

Left leg

Hmm, can this spot stop getting larger?

Day 53

When I thought my skin condition starts to improve, the itchiness became worse again this week for no particular reason.

Ever since I stop using topical steroids and all forms of alternative treatment / medicated shampoo, I try my best to stick to the same lifestyle and diet as a normal person. In fact, I have been very consistent in this lifestyle and diet since Day 1. I live as if I was normal although I still suffer from the itchy skin because I do not wish to credit my healing (after 6+ months) to the wrong channel.

My working hours is more or less the same 9:00am to 6:15pm
My diet is 15% McDonald, 15% KFC, 60% Hawker Food, 10% Home Cooked
My exercise is nil
My sleeping hours is 11:00pm to 7:00am
No facial products or soap in shower. Just normal shampoo.

I always take my photos in the same location at the same time so that I can report as consistently as I possibly can.

Left face looks the same. Rashes with pustules and minor flakes.

Right face

Left forehead

The eyebrow and central forehead is very itchy this week

Right forehead

Right leg looks the same but I think it looks more brownish already.

Big toe peel off last week and I thought it was good initially.

This week got minor ooze and it start to rebuild the scab again.

Left leg got new development.

This spot grow in size a little and became quite itchy while sleeping.

Day 46

This is day 46 since I stop topical steroids.

Last week was probably my worst in terms of itchiness. If I didn't know about TSW, I will probably start to use back my steroid cream for the itch relief because the itchiness will often prevent me from falling asleep.

I am glad that the itchiness is significantly reduced this week. For the whole week, I only wake up 2 times at night due to scratching and then I managed to fall back asleep almost immediately (no sleep loss! yay). This is important because my eczema is always very strongly related to itchiness level. The itchiness will always come first and then rashes will surface in a few days. If my itchiness can be further reduced, it will give me all the confidence that I don't need topical steroid for my skin condition in the first place. I will have to see how it goes.

As the year end is coming, I believe everyone will have several gatherings. For me, I got 2 Wedding dinners to attend, 1 Christmas party and a few Church stuffs, etc so I definitely hope that my condition will be improved and nobody will come and question my skin again.

I got a feeling skin will looks better soon since itchiness is reduced.

Right face

Left forehead is better

Right forehead

Right leg looks almost the same but I'm not afraid as long as it is not itchy.

Big toe is good, totally no itch

Left leg looks the same

Day 39

This is day 39 since I stop topical steroids.

I think Sunday would be the best time to update.

Left face is getting more itchy and also having more flakes.

Right face is also becoming worse.

Left forehead is same

Right forehead is more itchy

Big toe starts to peel off. Should be good.

Right Leg appears more red

Left Leg decided to grow something.

Left leg still growing. Not sure if this is the final form yet.

So far, I'm still not sure whether I am having TSW since my eczema is mild and my usage of topical steroids is very minimal. I checked my last 2 creams.

Betnovate Cream (Betamethasone 0.025%)

Econazine Cream (Triamcinolone acetonide 0.1%)

These 2 cream are around class 3 and class 4 only and I believe these steroids are still working for my skin if I do apply them. However I have read that it is still highly possible to be addicted to topical steroids even with mild steroids.

I saw that ITSAN has a checklist to find out whether you are TSW. Below are the questions

Were you diagnosed with eczema or some form of dermatitis?
Yes. A dermatologist diagnosed me with Seborrheic Dermatitis

Did you begin to treat your rash with the use of an overthecounter (OTC) or "weak" topical corticosteroid?
Yes. Triderm Cream, Dermacort Cream, Desonide Cream, Econazine Cream, Betnovate Cream

When you stop the creams, does your rash turn red, burn, or return and even start to spread?
Red a little bit. Definitely no burning (so far)
Yes, Eczema always returns.
Yes, it start to spread.

Did your physician write you stronger & stronger prescriptions? Did those stop working
too?
I never return back to the same doctor more than twice so I guess my creams are all mild. I remember Desonide became useless. But I believe Econazine and Betnovate creams is still working for my skin if I use them.

Did the eczema then begin to spread, get worse, and become chronic?
Yes, it slowly get worse throughout the years.

Do you now have erythema (redness) occurring in small or larger areas of the body?
Redness is not obvious for my mild condition.

Is your redness accompanied by a burning sensation?
No burning at all. It's mainly itching.

It seems like TSW usually have red and burning skin. Burning skin is something I definitely don't have and probably will never have. But my eczema is certainly spreading and the itchiness is currently my worse. Maybe what I'm having now is still considered as TSW but in a very mild form? Well, I'm only Day 39 now so I still got a long way to find out in the future.

Day 35

I have mild eczema throughout my life. Although I have been using topical steroids on and off and very sparingly for a few years, I guess I have use a bit more than I should. After discovering www.itsan.org, I decided to stop using it and keep a record on how my skin will progress.

This is day 35 since I have stop using topical steroids.

My cheeks and forehead became very itchy. All the spots that I have previously apply topical steroids began to re-surface again.

Left Face (Day 35)

Right Forehead (Day 35)

Frontal Face (Day 35)

Right Face (Day 35)

Left Forehead (Day 35)

This is the condition for my toe

Right Toe (Day 8)

Right Toe (Day 24)

Right Toe (Day 27)

Right Toe (Day 32)

Right Toe (Day 35)

This is the condition for my right leg

Right Leg (Day 14)

Right Leg (Day 24)

Right Leg (Day 33)

The condition for my left leg

Left Leg (Day 8)

Left Leg (Day 16)

Left Leg (Day 29)

Left Leg (Day 34)