Day 347 (photo): Stop Using Moisturiser?

OK, Lets start today's post off with a photo and then discuss.

This, as you may have guessed, is a picture of my skin in all it's post-flare glory today. The burning sensation is completely gone and the top layer of skin has lifted off and is peeling all in one go Some areas are bleeding.It looks worse than it feels. I felt a lot worse when it was in the juicy red phase. This, by contrast is a walk in the park, despite looking terrible. Suffice to say, I am NOT leaving the house looking like this.

Yesterday I spoke briefly about a theory I had concerning moisturisers. Now please bear in mind that I have no medical knowledge and I am just bouncing ideas around out loud on the blog.

In trying to work out what brought the latest flare on, I guessed that I may have suddenly developed a reaction to a product I was previously comfortable with. But what product? I use cleansers and a variety of creams from Vaseline to hemp cream and any single one could be the culprit. Either that, or my washing powder, shampoo or something I have eaten. What about mould spores in the Autumn air? It could be anything!

I figured that I would stop using products on my face to see if my skin would right itself. This was based on two ideas. Firstly, try googling "caveman skin regimen". Acne sufferers use this method of no products on their face, to clear acne. The side effect is, or course that they develop what is called the "dry skin mask", due to not washing. There is nothing on the Internet about eczema sufferers having success with the caveman regime. I had a theory that once the dry skin mask had sloughed off, that my skin would be nice underneath, but it doesn't seem to work that way. I am just bleeding and cracking from lack of moisture.

The second reason was that I read about a doctor in Japan, Dr Sato, who works with TSW patients and has a strict "no moisturiser" policy. He believes that the skin gets addicted to moisturiser the same way as it gets addicted to steroids. His patients actually improved and developed more resilient skin upon stopping moisturiser. The skin started to produce its own oils in response to the lack of external moisture.

So here I am with a flaky face.

I have two options. I can carry on as I am, which will either lead to more cracking and bleeding, or possibly the skin righting itself after the "big slough."

Or...

I can dab on a thin layer of moisturiser which may or may not bring on another flare-up.

Incidentally, the skin underneath the dry layer looks pink and immature, as if it is not quite ready to appear yet.

I may give it a bit longer. If the skin gets noticeably worse, I will have to apply a little cream.

Now...changing the subject completely.....

Good news for TSW sufferers! Dr Fukaya, one of the foremost experts in treating topical steroid withdrawal and author of several papers on the subject, is trialing a new ointment that may help TSW sufferers. The ointment is called  Clofibrate ointment. He has posted a video on youtube about it.

Of course, the ointment is just in the trial phase at present. Even if it works, it will probably be licenced too late to help the current generation of TSW patients, but hopefully will make things easier for the next generation. Research on the topic of TSW and speeding up healing times is greatly needed. I read a quote from another dermatologist who feels that the TSW healing process takes on average, 3 to 4 years in total. Great. I could have another 3 years of this then. Looks like this blog will be going for some time to come.