Rosemary Hook, 29, from London, was first prescribed it at three months old
08:27, 14 Apr 2026Updated 08:34, 14 Apr 2026
Rosemary has been bedbound on numerous occasions(Image: PA Real Life)
A woman says she was left bedbound with “oozing”, elephant-like skin – so severe she was “unrecognisable”. It came after 28 years of using steroid creams for eczema, which she believes triggered topical steroid withdrawal.
Rosemary Hook, 29, says she has been prescribed steroid creams for eczema since she was three months old, at increasing strengths, and claims the medication’s information leaflets advise limiting use to one week at a time.
After relocating to London in 2016, her condition dramatically deteriorated – her skin turned red and inflamed across her entire body, she started losing clumps of hair and the pain left her unable to move. Turning to social media for answers, she became convinced she was trapped in a “vicious cycle” of topical steroid withdrawal (TSW), believing the medication was aggravating her symptoms while making her “dependent” on it.
For a decade she endured “alien-looking” skin, alongside depression and anxiety, and claims her GP dismissed her concerns, prescribing immunosuppressants to help manage her symptoms, including a type of chemotherapy drug. When her condition worsened further in 2025, she travelled to Thailand that December for plasma therapy – which she describes as “life-changing”, saying she can finally recognise herself once more.
At £200 per session, she now faces up to five years of continuing treatment and has launched a fundraiser to ensure she can keep receiving it.
Rosemary believes she has topical steroid withdrawal(Image: PA Real Life)
Rosemary, a technician at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, said: “My skin became thickened in places, almost like an elephant skin texture, but at the same time incredibly fragile. I had deep cracks in areas, and even small movements could cause the skin to split or tear, so basic things like getting dressed were painful.
“There was also large, constant flaking and shedding throughout the day, and I was dealing with ongoing irritation, including areas that would ooze or bleed, which made it physically exhausting to manage. It changed my appearance so much that I didn’t recognise my own face or body at times and that made me incredibly anxious about leaving the house or being seen.”
Rosemary said she has been prescribed steroid cream for her full-body eczema since she was three months old. Throughout the years, she was given creams of increasing strength, but she said they appeared to make “much of a difference”.
When she relocated to London in 2016, her skin experienced a “big flare up”, becoming extremely red, painful and inflamed. Desperate for answers, she took control and discovered others on social media discussing topical steroid withdrawal – believed to be a severe withdrawal reaction to the long-term use of steroid creams.
Rosemary believes this is the root cause of her symptoms, but claims doctors have refused to formally diagnose her, instead prescribing immunosuppressants, including a type of chemotherapy drug. Her symptoms, including red and inflamed skin across her entire body, have persisted for the past 10 years, causing severe pain and leaving her unable to move at times.
Rosemary is now having treatment in Thailand(Image: PA Real Life)
Prior to this, she described herself as “active and sporty”, with no mobility problems whatsoever. Over time, her hair has fallen out in clumps, and she has struggled to carry out everyday tasks such as washing and cooking. She has been confined to bed on numerous occasions and has been forced to stop working for weeks at a stretch.
She said: “I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression – I was isolating myself so much because of the way I looked and because I wasn’t able to physically move, I was just in complete survival mode for a very long time.”
She revealed she had attempted stopping her medication to observe how her skin would react, but it would “instantly” deteriorate, which she felt suggested her skin was “completely dependent” on it.
She explained: “The rebound effects, of my skin burning and being so red, made me give in and use them again, so it was like a vicious cycle until they stopped working entirely.”
Over the years, she has consulted “countless” specialist dermatologists in London, and claims she was “dismissed and laughed at” for voicing concerns that the steroid creams were doing more harm than good.
“On the labels of my creams it says that they should only be used for the maximum of one week at a time,” she said.
“GPs have told me I’m not looking after myself properly, and that I’m deliberately trying to make myself unwell. People tend to look at me in public because of my skin, and it does look quite alien at times.”
More recently, Rosemary has joined online support groups and stumbled across TikTok accounts where fellow sufferers share their stories under the TSW hashtag.
She said: “There are thousands and thousands of people with the same experiences as me, but it’s so under-researched and the NHS don’t really recognise the condition.”
Rosemary had to stop working for weeks at a time(Image: PA Real Life)
Since summer 2025, Rosemary’s skin has deteriorated further, turning “bright red and swollen” and feeling like “elephant skin”, frequently cracking and weeping. Through her social media research last year, she discovered a clinic in Thailand offering Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) therapy.
The treatment utilises ionised gas, which purportedly promotes skin healing, reduces inflammation and eliminates pathogens. She commenced treatment in Thailand in December 2025, at a cost of £200 per full-body session once a week.
She said: “It’s been amazing so far, and pretty life-changing – I can now recognise myself in the mirror. I can be fully independent again in terms of daily activities.
“My skin is getting so much stronger without any medication. There’s a long way to go – it’s easily triggered by irritants and I can’t really go anywhere here in Thailand because of the heat and the sweat.”
With two months of weekly sessions still ahead, she will then head back to the UK to carry on her treatment at a specialist clinic, with appointments gradually becoming less frequent over time. Her specialists estimate she will require treatment for the next five years, eventually tapering down to just a handful of sessions annually.
Her treatment has proved to be a “financial burden”, though her employer has permitted her to take medical leave. She has launched a fundraiser, with a target of £6,000, to help cover the cost of future treatments.
She added: “It would just take all of the worry away, if I met the target, and would mean I’d get my life back.”
According to the NHS website, those who have been using topical corticosteroids for an extended period should consult their doctor to review their treatment, where they may be advised to stop gradually to avoid a withdrawal reaction. People who cease using topical corticosteroids after continuous use over a prolonged period, typically more than 12 months in adults, may experience a withdrawal reaction, which can on occasion be severe.
To donate to Rosemary’s fundraiser, visit her GoFundMe.