In November my skin was actually getting worse (even though it was coming into summer) from the reduced use of topical steroids. Actually it got so bad that month that my TS use went up!! -- In a previous post I kept count of times per month that I would apply the cream and it was usually around the 7 days a month mark -- November I applied TS 12 times!!
I realised that I was reducing my usage and thats probably what was causing the increase in itch. But with all this research I'd been doing on Moisturiser Withdrawal it seemed I had nothing to loose as everytime I applied my greasy messy emollient I felt like a million crazy little fire ants with tiny tickly legs would crawl all over me for about an hour after.
I was getting so sick of having to apply full body moisturiser 3 times a day and still feeling dry! Sick of everything I touched getting greasy fingerprints all over it! And sick of being scared of going to bed and feeling like all my precious creams I'd just applied everywhere were just going to rub off again!
So one week before the end of November I stopped applying moisturiser to my legs... one week later I stopped applying it everywhere except for my face (for presentation reasons - still got to work and face people daily) and apart from the odd bouts of sunscreen on the beach days, I have not used moisturiser since!!!
Now this may not be a big deal for some, and when I tried explaining it to my family who were visiting for Christmas, they looked at me like I was crazy, and tried suggesting all these alternative creams. After a lifetime of applying moisturise EVERYWHERE because I though it was a necessity, after trying god knows how many different types, emu oil, coconut oil, shea butter, aloe vera moisturiser, olive oil (that I sometimes dreamed about being able to swim in) body butters of all different flavours and colours, I KNOW what my skin feels like, and a month and a week later my TS usage has dropped by half it was last month and I feel, well GREAT! Apart from the initial, like 'the rusty tin man' feeling. I am no longer scared of going to bed, or getting grease spots on all my clothing, phone, computer, stuff at work that I had to try and pretend that I hadn't been to one getting greasy fingerprints everywhere.
So what I am hoping with this experiment is that my skin will continue to toughen up a bit in the next few months and I can continue to reduce the roid usage until my withdrawal beginning in April.
Im actually getting a little excited and almost impatient to start the withdrawal, but the time for me is still not right. There are still things that I need to organise and money I need to save in order to have as stress free withdrawal in the first few months as possible.
I'm getting less and less afraid every day.
