Clare Crawley Just Opened Up About Her Private Battle With Topical Steroid Withdrawal

Bachelorette alum Clare Crawley is receiving an outpouring of support from fans after revealing her private battle with a rare skin disorder: Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW). In an Instagram post shared on May 10, the 44-year-old spoke candidly about her condition and why she decided to open up about it.

“Yesterday, I went live and finally shared something I’ve kept hidden: my journey with TSW (Topical Steroid Withdrawal),” she captioned a video featuring footage of her spending time at home with her child and partner. “For those who missed it, I just want to say—I’m still in it. I don’t have the answers. I’m not on the other side with a shiny bow tied around it. But I couldn’t keep quiet anymore.”

Crawley continued, writing that sharing the news of her condition felt both terrifying and “deeply freeing.”

“What I once saw as something to be ashamed of—my raw skin, my struggle, my limits—has become something else entirely: a reflection of my humanness,” she said. “I thought people would pull away. Instead, I’ve felt more connection than ever. Because we all crave realness. We all long to be seen—not just in our wins, but in our wounds.”

TSW can develop after a person has been using topical steroids for a prolonged period of time to treat skin disorders like eczema. It can be characterized by symptoms like redness, itchiness and burning or peeling skin. Per the National Eczema Society, TSW can occur while a patient is still using topical steroids, though the symptoms become more severe once treatment is stopped, and they can often feel worse and more painful than those of the original condition. It can be treated using immunosuppressants, but the condition itself can sometimes occur for months or years and even leave its sufferers bedridden.

In the comments section of the video, Crawley revealed that she began experiencing symptoms after being given a topical steroid to help treat rashes that developed from breast implant illness. She had her breast implants removed back in 2021, though she’s still experiencing redness, irritation and flakiness from the steroids per a separate series of photos that she shared of her condition on May 8. “What you see vs what you don’t see,” the caption reads. “Thank you for being here for the authentic.” 

Responding to a separate comment, Crawley stated why it felt important to her to be open about her struggle. “I can only speak for myself in the ‘Bachelor world’ side of influencing, but the MAJORITY of the time the women get judged and shredded to pieces for showing/speaking the raw and realness,” she wrote. “Maybe they aren’t trying to show perfection, but rather keep a barrier to anything that is too personal and vulnerable so that they preserve their mental health.”

Crawley ended her video caption by saying that she’s still “walking through this,” and that “sharing it is part of my healing now.”