I refused to leave the house for fear of strangers staring at me but £7.99 ‘secret weapon’ has given me my life back

A new mom who refused to leave the house because her skin was “so bad” has found a life-changing cure.

Alexandra Maguire, 29, has always had sensitive skin, but an allergic reaction to hair dye led her to a darker side.

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“I was so bad when my skin was at its worst and it got to a point where I didn’t believe anything was going to work and I was going to be stuck like this forever,” said the Manchester office manager.

In September 2021, Alexandra visited her GP for advice on what to do after a reaction to hair dye.

Doctors prescribed her steroids for five weeks, from which she saw no improvement.

Alexandra’s face swelled up after going cold turkey on steroid cream.

“My skin turned bright red and it was so dry it started to flake,” she said.

“It was itchy, sore, and I had cracked, bleeding skin,” she added.

Embarrassed, Alexandra began not to leave the house, fearing people would look at her.

She also could not bear to go to work and was put on sick leave as her skin condition deteriorated.

“Taking my daughter to daycare every day became a nightmare and I would have panic attacks because I didn’t want anyone to look at me.

“I wouldn’t go to family events and that affected my work a lot, too,” she said.

After scouring the internet for answers, Alexandra discovered that she was suffering from topical steroid withdrawal (TSW).

TSW is a reaction that can occur after prolonged steroid use.

Sufferers may experience symptoms such as reddening of the skin that may extend beyond the originally treated area, a burning or stinging sensation, severe itching, peeling skin, and weeping open sores.

Alexandra said: “I just got into a terrible state of mind.

“I’ve tried going private and have spent over £1,000 on appointments and another £700 on allergy testing. I found out that I’m allergic to hair dye.

“But it still hasn’t solved the problem with my skin.”

In March 2023 the mother was found Balmonds Skin Rescue Cream through a YouTube video.

To her shock, Alexandra’s face began to clear up within a month.

She said: “I couldn’t believe how well it worked, my skin is almost back to normal now – it’s improved so much since I first started using it in March.”

Alexandra now swears by the cream and uses it twice a day as part of her skin care routine.

“I use the hand cream on my hands and feet because I still have eczema on my feet.

“I apply the cream in the morning after using a cleansing oil and again at night before bed,” she said.

Now back at work, Alexandra said the biggest difference is in her confidence, as friends and family have noticed a huge improvement in her mood since her skin has cleared.

“I definitely feel like I’m back to myself, which is really nice for me and my family,” she explained.