I’ve documented my personal healing journey through photos. As someone who suffers from eczema, this was an extremely painful time, and some of the images may be distressing to view. If you do not want to see these photos, please do not scroll down further on this page.
I’ve shared these images to offer support to others going through similar struggles. During my journey, I drew great comfort from the photos of others who had walked the same path, especially when my condition had stripped away my confidence and exposed me to horrified stares in public. They reminded me that I wasn’t alone and that healing is possible.
My healing journey
In May 2020, my journey to natural healing started.
TSW Flare
The constant escalation of steroid strength didn’t sit right with me, and I had been on them since I was a young girl. That decision led me into the painful world of Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW). Within three months of stopping, 80% of my body was covered in large, inflamed eczema patches; including areas I had never had eczema before.
After some research, I suspected a fungal component and began resolving this myself. Incredibly, my skin cleared up within three months of starting.
At the time, I believed eczema was simply a gut and diet issue. For several months, my skin remained clear until I moved to China and my environment changed…
TSW Recovery
Shortly after arriving in China, my skin erupted in hives, and my eyes became red and puffy. I felt sensitive to everything.
In my first year, my skin began to flare where every morning I’d wake up with red puffy eyes; something I had never experienced before. Despite eating an anti-inflammatory diet and using the same ‘tools’ I used before in successfully recovering from TSW, my symptoms never eased. I felt lost.
I tried Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture, where acupuncture was the only treatment that eased symptoms slightly; but I was still in pain and feeling self conscious. I eventually saw a local dermatologist and was prescribed a 'natural' cream that was free of steroids. I later discovered it was actually an immunosuppressant. I used this for 3 months until I found out I’d been unknowingly using Protopic, and I stopped immediately. This triggered my second withdrawal or rebound. This time, 90% of my body flared up again, but the eczema looked different from my first TSW and was much more violent in its nature. The Protopic rebound took about 8 months to subside, however as I hadn’t worked out my root cause (which I later found out was mould in the air conditioning and air pollution) I was still experiencing flares.
However, this was nothing compared to the eczema I was about to experience in my second year following a mysterious bite on my arm in Summer 2022…
Protopic Rebound Flare
My flares became much more violent and debilitating in their nature, preventing me from carrying out daily tasks such as washing my own hair, putting clothes on, cook, or even holding a pen.
The bite was from a presumed mosquito, which had a small rash (not a typical bullseye rash). At that point, I knew only tick bites could transmit Lyme disease, and thought nothing more of it. However, my skin was getting worse and this triggered us moving back to the UK in Summer 2023...
Moving back to the UK, my skin still got worse and worse.
I was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease in February 2024 — 19 months after the mysterious bite. Receiving a diagnosis was a huge relief; I finally had answers as to why my skin kept getting worse, despite my best efforts. Although a long recovery journey lay ahead, I had successfully detoxed mould and heavy metal toxicity from my body since arriving back in the UK, so my main focus shifted to Lyme disease and its co-infections. Since then, I’ve managed to bring the Lyme into a dormant state as of summer 2025.
During my recovery, I continued to experience flares, often triggered by Herxheimer reactions (a temporary worsening of symptoms that occurs when the body releases toxins from dying microbes during treatment) or when my body was under additional stress, such as catching a cold or during my period. This is because the immune system is dynamic, and healing is never a linear process. My body also sees my skin as its “weak spot”, so the immune system tends to push excess toxins out through this organ, making my skin quick to flare when there’s an added burden on my already overwhelmed system.
I’ll never stop being amazed, and proud, when I look back at how far I’ve come...
The best thing about eczema is that you can visually see your body recovering.
My journey has taught me a powerful lesson: You can be doing all the “right” things, eating well, following protocols, living clean, but if you don’t identify and treat the root cause, true healing won’t happen.
Now, my focus is on repairing the deep stress my body endured from chronic illness and prolonged inflammation, while supporting my immune system and adrenals in the recovery process. As of summer 2025, I still have some eczema, but it’s minor compared to everything I’ve been through. My skin still flares under added stress, but it also recovers more quickly; and the reactions are much milder, worlds apart from even six months ago. I know I’ll have clear skin in the near future, just as I did after my first TSW experience in 2020. This time, however, my healing journey is taking longer due to a more complex and traumatic root cause which was undiagnosed for a few years.
Today, I use my experience to help others on their own healing journeys; because no one should have to suffer in the dark or feel like they’re doing something wrong when the truth is simply hidden deeper.
Contact me.
To begin your healing journey, simply fill in the form or email me at:
vod.nutrition@gmail.com