Introductory post...

My name is Megan and I'm 28 years old. I had severe allergies including very allergic skin and eczema as a child. As an adult, I had moderate eczema here and there, especially on my face and used triamcinalone to treat, but eventually clobetasol. 

This spring, my allergies were INSANE and my face and upper torso reacted accordingly and eventually formed some eczema patches. I started doing my usual clobetasol treatment for 2 days and whereas before I could last almost a month without having to use it again, I started noticing that the patches returned sooner and sooner until I couldn't even go a week without using medication to treat it. 

My leg burn with skin fully healed

Then a month ago, I burned my leg really bad to where about a square foot of skin fell off. This seemed to be a trigger for my face and upper torso to have the worst rash yet. I went to the dermatologist and all she did was to prescribe protopic as a spacer drug but still suggested I use clobetasol or desonide as treatment. In desperation, I applied the clobetasol for 2 days, but like clockwork, 5 days later I noticed the rash coming back. 

Enter ITSAN.org. I read the site and I realized this is what was happening and I decided at that point to stop using steroids. 

My latest CVS haul

I'm now three weeks into my steroid free existence which has not been the smoothest trip. I've been visiting CVS constantly and testing moisturizers to treat my ultra dry skin. In addition, I have purchased more sheets so that I can switch my sheets every 3 days, bought fragrance free detergent, and started eating primarily anti-inflammatory foods. In desperation, I even chopped off my mid back length hair because it held too much heat against my neck. 

New sheets 

Kale, Spinach, Avocado, Sweet Potato, Blueberries and Broccoli

I tried Bikram Yoga, thinking that sweating would be good right? Wrong! After the 1.5 sweat session, my skin dried immediately into a desert. 

Salmon is my new best friend. 

I take morning showers and my skin cycle seems to be:

9AM: Post shower, pat dry and moisturize happy but red skin

10AM-5PM: Drying throughout the work day, I reapply moisturizer to key trouble spots

7PM: Dinner time, my skin has lost most its moisture.

10PM: Skin beginning to be bone dry despite moisturizing

Sleep time: Skin drying and starting to shed - I take benadryl to last through the night

8AM: Skin looks like a desert and is ready to be sloughed off

Shower and repeat

Now, my skin seems to be on the mend though. Every time I slough off the dead skin, I feel like my skin appears slightly healthier than the day before. I'm hoping that this is the case and I can look forward to healthier skin very soon.