expression
little by little; slowly but surely
Often used for gradual recovery from illness, like peeling away thin layers of paper one by one.
病気が薄紙を剥ぐように良くなってきた。
My illness has been getting better little by little.
景気は薄紙を剥ぐように回復している。
The economy is recovering slowly but surely.
A general adverbial phrase for 'little by little'; 薄紙を剥ぐように specifically evokes a gradual, delicate process, often in the context of recovery.
Literally 'like peeling off thin paper', referring to the slow, careful process of removing one thin layer at a time.