4 months into Topical Steroid Withdrawal and I need some insight

Quick background: Im a 19 yr old female, had eczema on my body all my life (mostly my neck and inner elbows), had some sort of facial skin condition for a short period of time (i have no idea what cuz I was too understand what and my parents never took me to the doctors for it), all skin conditions were "healed" with topical steroids - hydrocortisone cream - been using the cream for almost anything that popped up on my skin since for most of my life. If you need any more background info, feel free to ask.

Dec. 2017

So my TSW journey began with a couple of white dots I found in the creases of my nose. I used the hydrocortisone cream on them, nothing happened. Left them alone and within a couple of days, gone. Couple weeks later, I came down with the flu (around Christmas time). Also keep in mind, the same year I took two rounds of antibiotics for a UTI and yeast infection without proper probiotic follow-up and I ate all junk so, my gut has been suffering too.

Jan 2017

The dots came back after about 2 weeks of being clear, I use the hydrocortisone again, nothing happens, if anything it got worse. I began developing red dots and it spread. I forgot what and how I came to the conclusion that I should stop using topical steroids but I did and within a couple of days, the red dots/rash began to spread all over my face, from the folds of my nose, up my nose and a little around my mouth. I did some research and self-diagnosed it as Perioral Dermatitis (PD). I read that coconut oil could help so I used that for a couple of days, nothing worked, it just kept spreading. I then learned that PD could be fungal, so I decided to use some antifungal cream, no change. Close to the end of Jan, nearly my entire face was red, burning, tight, and felt raw. I did some more research and realized that I was going through the first stages of steroid withdrawal. At this point, the places where I usually apply the hydrocortisone cream began flaring too, my inner elbows and neck slowly itched and began breaking out to the eczema I had again as a child.

Feb 2018

I left my face alone, no washing or applying anything, within a couple of days, my face began flaking a ton, but my skin underneath the flakes was still slightly bumpy and red. After about a week, I washed my face with just paper towels and lukewarm water then after I would apply the antifungal cream all over. At this point, I also stopped my birth control too. Slowly the bumps faded and the flaky skin as well, I continued the same washing routine every other day. But what sucked was my forehead began to act out too, flaking and itching like crazy with pinkish patches. My scalp became incresingly itchy as well and my Serr Derm became really bad.

This month I also began changing my diet around the end of this month, little to no sugar and no carbs or gluten. I ate mostly sauteed veggies with rice. I also began taking vitamins and supplements too.

Late this month, I ordered Nizoral to treat my scalp as well.

March 2018

My skin really began to smooth out around this time, everything was pretty much kept the same until I got my period again, that's when I got a PD flare? I began developing the red dots again on my cheeks. The same routine - wash face and af cream. There were sometimes during this month where I would consume more sugar than I should but I didn't see any effects so I didn't think too much of it.

At this point I also began using CeraVe on my eczema spots on my body (inner elbows and neck) and withtin a couple of days, my skin began smoothing out and became less itchy.

Late this month, however, I wanted to try something new after I read some good things about  Dead Sea Salt. At this point, my skin SEEMED to be about 75% healed, pretty smooth, just a couple of small patches on my cheeks, flaky all around my mouth still (this has been going on for about 2 months now), and my forehead still flaky still. I decided to wash my face with a solution of Dead Sea Salt, water, and grapefruit seed extract. Washed my face at night with this solution, stung like hell, but after I would apply the antifungal cream and CeraVe on my forehead and some parts of my cheeks. Continued this for a week, but a day after I stopped, my face began to break out again, within days my forehead became patchy and itchy and flaky again, worse even, it seemed to have spread. 

Also began losing a lot of hair, idk if it was the antidandruff shampoo, but I stopped that.

April 2018

Essentially this whole month, my face has gotten worse. I would develop red dots in some places and some would disappear overnight. My diet hasn't really changed though I did stop taking probiotics (last month) and I ate a lot more carbs and sugar (possible reason why Im breaking out more). This month went by really quickly. There were times where I wouldn't apply anything on my face at all after washing and there would be new red dots the next day, idk why??? Then there would be days where I would apply the AF cream but see no difference. Idk, I'm just so confused.

May 2018

My face looks horrible like it did when I first started, my hairline and forehead is itchy and patchy and flaky, I'm losing a lot of hair too but the Serr Derm on my head has cleared, it seemed as though it had spread to my forehead sideburns area tho. My face is still itchy, kinda tight, and feels raw-ish. 

I really need some insight or advice on this. How do I know if I'm still going through withdrawal? Cuz my eczema on my body is okay with just lotion. I've seen pictures of people who go through withdrawal and their entire body is taken, why is it that just my face is affected? I think I'm still going through withdrawal just because I've used the steroid creams on my face for SOOO long, nearly every day. But idk if maybe I should finally go to a dermatologist. I don't have insurance, which is a big reason why I didn't go in the first place but also cuz I've read stories where Derms really have no clue about topical steroid withdrawal, so should I really risk a couple hundred bucks just to be prescribed topical steriods again?

I just need insight on all of this, what's going on on my face? What should I do? Should I go back to cutting sugar and carbs again? (I probably should huh? But can I ever have it again after I recover??) Should I go to the Derms and get antibiotics? I'm afraid it'll ruin my body.  like it did before. 

Please help D:

0 likes, 1 reply