Do you know what skin condition I often find so difficult and challenging to treat?

Widespread fungal infections arising from prolonged steroid use.

Why?

Steroids reduce the skin's immune response. It stops inflammation and markedly reduces the itch. This provides a temporary relief for the patient and also gives a false sense of "improvement."

The inflammation&itch are your defense mechanisms versus the fungi.

If you take both away, it makes it easier for the fungi to grow faster & wider esp since steroids thin the skin.

The fungal infection then spreads silently bc the steroids have switched off the skin's response.

Treatment is difficult because once you remove the steroid, the skin becomes inflamed with a vengeance.

The patient, if not advised, will return to using the steroid and the cycle starts again.

Please do not self medicate with steroids