Topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) is a condition that can occur after using steroid creams that are often prescribed for eczema. It can cause immense pain, itching and oozing sores, and while there are many stories of women struggling with the condition, there’s still no agreed treatment for it.

Zainab Danjuma, 34, is a London-based blogger who talks about the reality of this issue. For our Skin Stories series, we spoke with her about her experience of eczema, topical steroid withdrawal and sharing her skin online.

Hey, Zainab. How does your skin story begin?

From what my mum told me, she started noticing dry red patches on my skin when I was a baby. She took me to the doctor when I was about six months old, and I was prescribed steroids to treat my eczema. I probably didn’t notice that my skin was different from other kids’ until I was in primary school. It was then that other kids made comments and it made me feel self-conscious.

Did you face judgment for your skin? How did that affect you?

I’ve been lucky to never have been bullied about my skin, but it’s people’s passing comments that seem to stick with me. A schoolmate mentioned that I have “dry knuckles”, which made me very conscious of my hands when I was younger, to the point where I was always hiding them and rarely wanted to interact with other kids. My dad’s comment about me having “Crocodile Dundee skin” makes me feel sad for my younger self too.

I’ve seen random comments on my YouTube channel commenting on how my neck doesn’t match my face, but these don’t bother me so much. I just think my videos aren’t meant for those people to see; there’s still not enough representation for skin conditions like mine.

“Eczema and topical steroid withdrawal made me feel so self-conscious, but now I know I’m more than my skin”