TSW Together | Topical Steroid Withdrawal Support

BELFAST… you’re up! 🙌 We are SO excited to announce that we will be heading to Belfast for our next TSW Together Meet-up ☘️ TSW Together is all about bringing people together in safe, welcoming spaces where people can connect, share stories, and feel a little less alone. Belfast will be no different, and we honestly can’t wait to hopefully see you there. ✨ 📅 Date: Saturday 6th June 📍 Location: @artsekta , Olive Tree House, 23 Fountain Street, Belfast, BT1 5EA 🕐 Time: 1pm - 4pm Whether you’re currently going through TSW, out the other side, caring for a loved one, or living with a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis, everyone is welcome. We are, and always will be, a judgement-free zone. 🤍 The event is completely free to attend, thanks to our amazing sponsor, @balmonds_skincare - and we are so grateful for their continued support. 🌿 So… what are you waiting for? Come and join us for an afternoon of connection, conversation, and community. 💫 🎟️ book your space via the link in our bio! #tsw #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #tswtogether #strongertogether #belfast

If your attention span can survive 6 minutes… this might stay with you for a long time. A few months ago I went to the @tswtogether meet-up in Birmingham just to listen, connect, support, and be around people who truly get it. I had absolutely no plans to stand up and speak. But something in me just said, “do it.” So I got up on that stage and spoke about parts of my journey through TSW. A condensed version, anyway… otherwise we’d still be there now. 🤣 The years of hiding. The pain, grief, isolation. Growing up with a skin condition. Going through school, uni, dancing, teaching and leading rooms full of women into confidence whilst navigating something that has challenged me physically, mentally and emotionally for years. And yes… I broke down mid talk. I nearly cut that part out. But I thought nah. Leave it in. Because this journey is raw. It’s uncomfortable. It challenges you. And I think part of healing is finally allowing yourself to be seen properly. I don’t talk about Eczema and TSW enough. I think because I’m now in a much more healed place, I’ve been busy trying to LIVE again. To dance. To teach. To travel. To make up for the years my body wouldn’t let me. And honestly, sometimes talking about it means sitting with grief I spent years just trying to survive through. But I’m realising how important it is to share it. Not just for me, but for anyone currently in the depths of feeling lonely, exhausted, angry, misunderstood, or terrified that life will never feel normal again. I also think this experience changed me as a teacher. When dancing and teaching are the only things you wanted back whilst you were bedridden, you stop taking them for granted. It made me softer with people. More understanding. More present. Because everybody is carrying something, even if you can’t see it. Thankyou @itchscratchrepeat for creating such a safe space for people to come together, speak opening and feel understood. TSW took a lot from me. But it also forced me to become someone stronger, deeper, more compassionate, more fearless and more grateful for the life I have now. Maybe that version of me was waiting on the other-side

We LOVED hosting our ‘Mini Meet-Up’ at the @allergyfreefromshow yesterday at the @balmonds_skincare Skin Hub ✨💚 Bringing the community together is always such a privilege, and we’re so grateful to Balmonds for helping us create safe spaces where those impacted by TSW and other skin conditions can come together, share their stories, and feel understood. @itchscratchrepeat welcomed everyone before we heard from different members of the community and their personal journeys. We finished with a mingle, giving everyone the chance to connect even more. It was an hour full of understanding, connection, and vulnerability - and we honestly can’t wait for more. We’re also super excited to announce that our next location will be revealed next week 👀✨ If you want to be the first to hear where we’re heading next, make sure you sign up to our mailing list via the link in our bio 💌 #tsw #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #tswtogether #community #strongertogether

We’re so excited to be teaming up with @balmonds_skincare once again - this time at the @allergyfreefromshow this weekend - for our very own TSW Together Mini Meet-up! ✨ If you’re heading to the show on Saturday, come and join us at the Balmonds Skin Hub from 1:15–2:15pm for an hour of connection, understanding, and being surrounded by friendly faces from the TSW and wider skin condition community. It’s a chance to share experiences, build meaningful connections, and remind ourselves that we’re not alone in this 💛 📆 Saturday 9th May 📍 Balmonds Skin Hub, Hall 3 🕝 1:15pm – 2:15pm 🎟️ Grab your tickets online via the @allergyfreefromshow website There are also so many amazing sessions happening across the weekend, so be sure to check out the full schedule! 🙌 We can’t wait to see you there 🤍 #tsw #tswtogether #bettertogether #community

Cardiff: we LOVED yesterday 🥹🤍 There’s something so powerful about being in a room where no one has to explain themselves. Where “how’s your skin?” isn’t a loaded question, where sleeves, stares, flares, and healing are all understood without a word. Some of you walked in alone. Some of you came with someone by your side. Some of you are in the depths of TSW, some of you are finding your way out of it, and some of you are there purely to support someone you love… but for a few hours, none of that mattered. Because we were all just people, connecting, laughing, opening up - and leaving with a little more light than we came in with. That’s what TSW Together is all about. Thank you to every single person who showed up, shared space, and made it what it was. You were all incredible. And a huge thank you once again to @balmonds_skincare for sponsoring this event and allowing us to keep these meet-ups accessible - so anyone who needs this kind of space can be in the room. 💚✨ If you want to be the first to hear about where’s next, join our mailing list via the link in our bio 💌 👀 now tell us… where should we bring TSW Together next? 👇#tsw #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #tswtogether #community #strongertogether

We’ve got BIG news…TSW Together is heading to Cardiff 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🤩 📍 @cathayscommunitycentre , Cardiff 📅 Saturday 11th April 🕝 2:30pm – 5:00pm 🎟️ Free An afternoon of connection, understanding, and being around people who just get it. Who know what you’re going through without you even having to explain. 🥲 Whether you are currently going through TSW, out the other side, supporting a loved one, or simply part of the wider skin condition community - everyone is welcome here! 🫂 We say it every time, but we keep saying it because it is true: there is SO much power in community. And we want as many people affected by TSW as possible to know that they’re not alone. A huge special thank you to @balmonds_skincare for their continued support in sponsoring this event - they make it possible these spaces to be free to attend, because we believe that healing together should be accessible for all. 💚 🎟️ Spaces are limited so if you want to come along, make sure you book your space via the link in our bio. We can’t wait to hopefully see you there! Leave us a comment and let us know if you plan on joining. ✨ #tsw #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #tswtogether #cardiff #community

Some weekends stay with you. This was one of them. Because when you’ve lived through something as painful, isolating and misunderstood as Topical Steroid Withdrawal, moments of awareness don’t just feel “nice” - they feel deeply personal. They feel like validation. They feel like hope. They feel like maybe, finally, the world is starting to pay attention. This community has fought so hard to be seen, heard and taken seriously. And this weekend felt like a reflection of that fight. Not because everything has changed overnight. But because progress, recognition and visibility all matter. And every step forward carries the voices of the people who have been living this reality for years. We still have a long way to go. But this weekend reminded us that our voices matter - and together, they are getting harder to ignore. Swipe through for a few of the moments that made this weekend such an important one for the TSW community 🫂🤍 #tsw #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #community #news #together

We all know how powerful this community is - but one of the most moving ways to truly feel it is at the TSW March in March 💛 Organised by the incredible @topicaldebate and her amazing team, this day is all about standing together in solidarity. It’s for everyone impacted by Topical Steroid Withdrawal - whether you’re going through it, supporting someone who is, or simply want to raise awareness. It’s a day to use our voices, share our stories, demand change, and shine a light on the reality of this condition. And honestly… it’s something you feel as much as you witness. It’s powerful. We’re so pleased to share that it’s happening again this year, thanks to Nik and her team - and our founder, @itchscratchrepeat , will be there again this year, along with (hopefully!) many of your lovely faces. 📆 Saturday 28th March ⏰ Meet at 11am 📍 Statue of Human Kindness, Archbishop’s Park, London SE1 (then walk to St. Thomas’ Hospital together) Please note: this event is not organised by TSW Together - we’re simply proud to support it on a personal level and share it with our community. If you’ve ever thought about coming, this is your sign 💫 #tsw #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #community #tswawareness #strongertogether

“Emotional.” “Understood.” “Community.” Just a few of the words used to describe the afternoon we shared at TSW Together Birmingham 🤍 We always love asking this question, because the answers perfectly capture the impact of being in a room full of people who truly get what you’re going through - or have been there themselves. There is something so powerful about shared understanding. We love nothing more than hosting these events 🫶 not only do we leave every meetup with smiles on our faces, but also with pockets full of hope - a reminder that even on the hardest days, we are not doing this alone ✨ Whether you’re in the thick of TSW, out the other side, supporting a loved one, or living with a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis, we know how isolating it can feel. But look at this - you are not alone. TSW Together proves that. Make sure you’re following along to stay in the loop about our next meetup, and join our mailing list (link in bio) to be the first to hear what’s coming next 👀📩 Huge thank you, as always, to our amazing sponsor @balmonds_skincare 🌿 Together, always 🫂✨ #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #tswtogether #tsw #community #strongertogether

Birmingham: that was SO special 💛 Our hearts are so full after our TSW Together Birmingham meetup yesterday. Over 30 of us came together for an afternoon rooted in understanding, connection, and compassion - and once again, we were reminded just how powerful community can be. Topical Steroid Withdrawal doesn’t exist in isolation. It touches not only those going through it, but also partners, parents, friends, carers, and allies who walk alongside their loved ones through every flare, setback, and breakthrough. Seeing so many of you gathered in one space was incredibly moving. In Birmingham, we had people from all walks of the journey - those currently withdrawing, those who have healed, those supporting someone they love, those from the skin condition community and those who simply wanted to learn and listen. And the way everyone showed up for one another - sharing skin stories, listening with empathy, offering comfort, laughing, crying, and holding space - was a beautiful reminder that no one has to face this alone. This is why TSW Together exists: to create safe, welcoming spaces where anyone impacted by TSW and the wider skin condition community can feel seen, heard, and understood - without judgement or explanation. 🫂 A special thank you again to @balmonds_skincare - our main event sponsor - who help make these safe spaces possible. We are so grateful to you for the support and all the amazing goodies as well as @westlabsalts for their kind donation of Dead Sea Salts for our guests! We already can’t wait for the next one. 🥹✨ #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #tswtogether #tsw #community

TSW doesn’t just affect your skin - it changes the way you experience life. For many in our community, living with TSW means missing out on moments that should have been ordinary - traveling, socialising, trying new things - because your body and your skin feel like a barrier to the world. Saara shared how TSW stole key years of her life, leaving her home- and bed-bound when she should have been out experiencing everything life had to offer. Even now, when her skin is “okay-ish,” the fear lingers. The anxiety of enjoying herself is tied to the memory of flares and pain, of days that felt endless and exhausting. That fear isn’t weakness - it’s a lived reality for so many navigating life after the most intense periods of TSW. This week, as we reflect on TSW Awareness Day, we want to acknowledge that the impact goes far beyond the visible. It’s in the plans we hesitate to make, the confidence we’re slowly rebuilding, and the strength it takes just to show up. Every story like Saara’s reminds us that healing isn’t just about skin - it’s about reclaiming life, slowly and carefully, on your own terms. 💛 #tsw #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #tswawareness #community #dermatology

Some days I know exactly what to say. Today isn’t one of them. TSW Awareness Day is an overwhelming reminder of everything I’ve been through. Of how my life changed because of something that was completely preventable. It’s a reminder, through the incredible, heartbreaking posts I see today, of just how many people are still suffering - and how many have suffered in silence. It’s a reminder of the warriors who continue to use their voices, even when it hurts, to raise awareness. And it’s a reminder that while we’ve come so far, we still have so far to go - and we can’t stop now. Last year, I gave a speech at a fundraiser for @mikecarroll13 - a fellow TSW warrior who has been torn away from his family because of this condition. I know he’s not the only one, and I wanted to share this part of that speech because it’s still painfully relevant today. We still need: 🔬 Robust medical research to understand who’s at risk, what recovery really looks like, and how TSW can be managed effectively 📋 Stronger prescribing guidelines so patients aren’t unknowingly put at risk of long-term dependency 📣 True patient awareness - so when someone is handed a steroid cream, they are fully informed of the risks and what to look out for It can feel like a mountain to climb. But when I was 15, I was lucky enough to be selected to go on a school trip to South Africa - one of the most life-changing experiences of my life - and I heard a quote I’ll never forget: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” I truly believe that if we stick to this, we will get there. To everyone in this community who is raising their voice, bridging the gap between patients and medical professionals, and pushing for change - your work does not go unnoticed. And to anyone reading this who is in the depths of topical steroid withdrawal: If you feel like it’s never going to end - I’ve been there. I know how it feels. I promise you, it will. You will get better. Brighter days are coming, and one day you’ll tell the story of how you survived the hardest battle of your life. Sending so much love to every single one of you today 🤍 #tsw #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #steroids