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A woman who was plagued by eczema for more than 30 years has clear skin for the first time after quitting her lifelong steroid cream addiction.

But today mum-of-two Melanie Lynch revealed the "living hell" she went through going cold turkey with the treatment - including horrific reactions that made her skin "burn" and "oooze".

The 37-year-old first received topical steroid creams as a toddler when she started to suffer eczema on the backs of her knees and elbows.

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Over the next three decades the eczema worsened, and she was prescribed higher dosage treatment that she would eventually use to cover her entire body.

But her skin didn't seem to be recovering and the mum-of-two, from Birmingham decided to quit steroid treatment all together in 2013.

The sudden withdrawal had shocking consequences.

Melanie suffered horrific reactions where all her skin burned, oozed and turned into dry flaking skin that peeled off.

She said she looked like a "monster" after the reaction also caused her face, eyes and lips to swell and turn bright red.

(Image: CATERS)

Her hair and eyebrows fall out.

But after three years battling her horrific symptoms caused by topical steroid withdrawal, Melanie now has clear skin.

The mum, a primary school teacher, said: "The whole thing was a living hell and the worst thing I've ever had to do.

"It was just horrendous, I looked like a monster, my hair and eyebrows fell out, my skin was oozing and fell off everywhere.

"I had to sweep around me where I went like it was dust, I would change my bedsheets and pyjamas multiple times a day.

"Everything was swollen even my eyes. My skin was bright red, wet from oozing and was gross.

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"About 95% of my skin looked like it had been burned, I couldn't put clothes or even a blanket because it was so sore.

"After that it would go very dry and flake everywhere, then it would repeat that cycle over and over for three years.

"It's definitely a terrible time but worth it now. My skin is stronger, it feels healthier and it's not damaged like it was before.

"My skin finally feels smooth, like it never has felt before and is definitely healing."

At her worst, Melanie was using a 100g tube of steroid cream every week on top of oral steroids, but nothing seemed to relieve her dry skin and reddened face.

After ceasing the treatment that she had used for her entire life, she suffered horrific side-effects associated to her skin being overly dependent topical steroids.

(Image: CATERS)

Melanie added: "Over the decades using steroids, my skin needed stronger and stronger creams, then I was using oral steroids as well and nothing calmed my skin - it was awful.

"I used them for more than 30 years and it didn't make me any better, I'm not convinced it healed me, if anything it only made my eczema worse.

"I watched a video about topical steroid addiction and had a lightbulb moment, it made me realise that steroids were the reason why my skin was getting worse."

Melanie was signed off from work for six months and remained housebound for a total of ten months during her agonising battle with the withdrawal process that left her unable to sleep and in constant pain.

She said: "There were times where I spent all day and night in the bath, it was my only relief from the agony I was suffering.

"It got so bad that I had to be signed off from work with disability benefits.

"I would go months without leaving the house and unable to move or function, it was horrible.

(Image: CATERS)

"The symptoms were like drug withdrawal, my nerves were shocked, I was fidgety, flinching and I was either too hot or too cold, there was very little rest from it."

More so, Melanie was devastated when over a year into her topical steroid withdrawal her hair began to fell out.

She added: "My hair was falling out in clumps and eventually I had to get a wig to try to keep some normality.

"I held onto my hair for as long as I could, but I lost my whole hairline, I wore a clip in fringe with a hairband to try and hide the loss, but it didn't work. Eventually it all had to come off."

But last year, she noticed her horrifying reactions start to recede and since then her skin vastly began to improve, her hair is grow back and she's slowly returning to normal life.

Melanie said: "In the beginning, I only thought it would take a year for me to overcome this, I never imagined three years later I'd still be battling it.

"Thankfully this year has been a lot better, my skin is so much better than it was, I'm finally able to start living a normal life again.

"There were times I didn't think I could go through it all but thankfully the worst is over now."

A survey by the International Steroid Addiction Network (ITSAN) found that 5,288 people suffered from Topical Steroid Withdrawal also known as Red Skin Syndrome within the last two years.

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Joey VanDyke, president of ITSAN, said: "Dr Fukaya suggests avoiding continuous use of topical steroid creams for longer than two weeks.

"In the cases of those who become dependent, it breaks down the skin barrier and causes a host of symptoms.

"The most common sign of Red Skin Syndrome is the inflamed, hot skin.

"A possible lengthy time of the symptoms can affect your ability to function normally in daily life, work or go to school."

She added: "We never advise anyone to stop using topical steroids as that is not the role of ITSAN.

"We share the truth of cited medical studies about the potential, known risk factors of topical steroids, stories of people enduring and overcoming red skin syndrome, and we offer caring support to anyone suffering red skin syndrome."