Burning red and flaky face from topical steroid creams not healing help?
Posted , 16 users are following.
Hey Everyone. I'm 19 years old and now 6 months into my withdrawal from using topical steroids on my skin and for the most part, i've certainly had a rebound much easier to deal with than other withdrawal's if we compare the severity and quantity of symptoms. However, this indifference worries me because I fear I'm not following the same path of healing that others are.
Just to give some background,I initially had a touch of seborrheic dermatitis around my nose 4 years ago (no skin problems before) and I was given a mild hydrocortisone [Daktacort] which cleared the problem well but unfortunately through my own ignorance of topical steroids, I continued to use it almost as a moisuriser for the next year to prevent dermatitis returning. Over the next four years, I went from using the same hydrocortisone intermittenly to using it daily as I would get a facial eczema flare if i resisted and the red dryness was spreading to small patches of my body. I was also more worried in the last year of using steroids how red and flushed my face had become thinking i had suddenly developed rosacea, all before I found out about Red Skin Syndrome.
When I learnt about TSW i stopped the steroid cream i'd been using. Because I had only used a mild steroid, on my face and for only 4 years, I haven't experienced any of the flaking, redness or oozing much on my body and so i remain capable of living normally. Nevertheless, my face ever since Day 1 of tsw has been universally burning red and extremely dry. I don't recieve 'flares' others tend to get, instead my symptoms have being generally consistent, being slightly worse in the first few months.
The main problem I have is that I have big yellow scales and hard flakes across my cheeks that stick to my face like scabs (underneath is red raw skin) and they never shed. I'd never used a moisturiser on my face before stopping steroids as i used the hydrocortisone as a moisuriser but I began to use Aveeno Cream to help with the itchiness in the first few months of TSW but then stopped when I heard you heal faster without moisturising. Regardless of this, I keep getting these yellow crusty scales that will not shed.
Is this a normal symptom? As it looks more like a really bad case of seborrheic dermatitis on the face as oposed to the usual steroid-induced-eczema and I'm really worried it won't heal. 
In addition, does the rosacea like flushed redness dissapear from Topical Steroid users after the eczema is healed? I ask this because I have never had facial redness before the last year of using topical steroids and it's very irritating to be red even when my skin is smooth and clear.
Apologies if i wrote too much or if it's rushed aha,
Ed
0 likes, 21 replies
roselin41004 sempiternal95
Posted
Hi for the yellow scales on your face you can use coal tar soap, Wright's Coal Tar Soap is very effective, just wash your face with the soap with a soft cloth and the scales will gently come off. Do not rub. Below where the scales come off Wil be Be the red skin but don't worry it will heal.
egy sempiternal95
Posted
Hi, you're the only person I've found with similar steroid potency use and duraiton on the face. I mimic almost the exact same thing but with over the counter 1% on my face for one year.
I would love to discuss more in detail what your healing process was like? I am only 5 days in but have 3 very hard, dry patches on my face, thats virtually it other than a few patches of eczema on my body from moisturizer withdrawal as well. Mine are starting to turn yellow a bit in the center, surrounded by red and very tight dry skin.
Any information you're willing to provide is so greatly appreciated! Most people I've turned to have been on high doses for decades.
Thank you in advance!
shay0708 sempiternal95
Posted
Hi, and I am so sorry you're having a hard time. I have 17yo boy who's also suffering from eczema. Please ask your doctor about elidel cream. My boy keeps it in control with this cream. The steroid creams burned his skin and he was in agony. I hope that helped. There are some posts on this site from someone who took St. John's wort tablets to help with winter blues, but within six months his eczema was completely gone. I have read some. It has anti microbial properties. Good luck!
mogur00 sempiternal95
Posted