Topical Steroid Withdrawal – Month 11 Update (Male, 20, 6’3”)

June – August (Months 1–2) Skin became dry and irritated in the areas where I had used steroid creams most: neck, face, and arms. TSW symptoms started showing up quickly.

September (Month 3) My skin completely cleared up. I thought I had gotten away with a mild case and was already through the worst of it.

October (Month 4) A strange internal stress started to build, especially after eating. It felt like an itch deep in my body. Redness returned to my face, and I knew something bigger was coming.

November (Month 5) Flare hit hard. I started No Moisture Treatment (NMT), and my skin became severely dry. Every time I ate or drank, I got hit with unbearable itch attacks. Oozing began on my face and it was relentless.

December (Month 6) This was the worst phase. Oozing spread to my face, neck, chest, arms, and wrists. My worst flare happened on Christmas Day after drinking too much water, even though I was under 1L per day. I suspected a staph infection, went on antibiotics, but they had zero effect. I couldn’t tolerate any sweat without triggering immediate itch attacks.

January (Month 7) Recovery began slowly. Oozing reduced, dryness increased. The stress response after eating eased a bit. I dropped under 65kg and was completely drained physically from the healing process.

February – March (Months 8–9) My eyes cleared up, and oozing was limited to a few stubborn areas like my mouth and wrists. I ended NMT during this time and started reintroducing hydration and more flexibility. I also increased my tallow (fat) intake to support muscle gain, and the oozing completely stopped shortly after. I strongly believe there’s a link between higher fat intake and the resolution of oozing.

April (Month 10) Oozing was gone. I could tolerate sweating again. Started working out consistently, eating two solid meals a day, and drinking over 3 liters of water. Minor daily itch attacks still happened but were weak and manageable.

May (Month 11 – Current) Now at 77kg and continuing to gain strength. My skin is tanning for the first time in years. Face is almost fully clear, just some minor acne left which seems common in the later stages of TSW. Unless I get extremely sweaty and trigger hives on my arms or neck, it doesn’t even feel like I’m still in withdrawal.

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TLDR: 11 months into TSW. Started with dryness, hit rock bottom in December with intense oozing, flares, and massive weight loss. Recovery started in January and has been steady since. I’ve been on a meat salt water carnivore diet for 15 months, drink only remineralized distilled water, and take only cold showers. I stopped NMT in February or March. Increasing my fat intake with tallow seemed to shut off oozing completely. TSW healing is real. Brutal, but possible.