A woman has revealed how she managed to heal her skin after a rare and debilitating condition left her body peeling, flaking and oozing — making everyday life “unbearable”.
Yaa Adoley says she felt like a “prisoner in her own body” after developing erythroderma, a severe inflammatory condition that affects most of the skin’s surface.
It causes redness and scaling of the skin, which starts in patches and spreads over the body.
The 37-year-old was previously diagnosed with eczema in 2017 but a major flare up led to doctors changing her diagnosis in 2022.
“I felt like a prisoner in my own body,” Yaa, who is based in London, told Need To Know.
“It is extremely difficult because normal things you do on a day to day like showering feel almost impossible.
“It’s very difficult to maintain a job or simply do things with family because just existing is uncomfortable, and in that moment there is very little you can do.”
At its worst, the freelance writer’s condition affected every aspect of her life — including her ability to sleep.
She added: “At the time my skin was at its worst, it was unbearable.
“It was difficult to sleep because of the itching.
“My skin was shedding and oozing constantly.
“It was painful.
“I had chills and night sweats.
“I also developed Odema as a result, where my legs swelled for six months”.
It wasn’t just pain that Yaa had to deal with as her skin issues left her self-esteem at rock bottom.
Yaa described struggling to recognise herself when she looked in the mirror.
Yaa added: “At times it was difficult to look at myself because I couldn’t believe that this was me.
“At one point I had lost incredible amounts of weight and just looked like a shell of myself.
“It was very teary a lot of the time”.
According to Yaa, she’d even find people staring at her when out and about, while others would offer advice or products that could help her.
She said: “I understood the sentiment but it was also frustrating because people assume that you’re not doing anything to help yourself when in reality you’re doing everything.”
Yaa spent a huge amount of time researching “like crazy” in order to find something that would help her skin.
She first changed her diet and the way she ate, eliminating sugar and dairy completely.
Yaa also tried to ensure she was eating organic wherever possible, including an “abundance” of fruit and vegetables.
She added: “I also incorporated healing modalities such as breath work and movement.
“I used extremely simple skincare and went to therapy”.
READ MORE: Mum left with $50,000 in medical bills after son is bit by rabid BAT during cabin trip
