How Our Mental Health Plays A Vital Role In Our Skin Health

It's no secret that our mental health has a significant impact on our physical health. We know that stress can lead to a whole host of health problems, from heart disease to digestive issues. So, it might not be farfetched to assume that our skin, which is our largest organ, can also reflect our mental state.

This is known as the brain-skin axis. And while there's still much to learn about this relatively new area of research, emerging evidence through a specialty referred to as "psychodermatology" is starting to uncover the connection between mental health and skin health. So far, studies have shown that mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and stress can lead to skin conditions, particularly inflammatory diseases that cause severe discomfort and affect quality of life.

So, if you're struggling with your mental health and skin, or are just curious to know more about this topic, keep on reading!

What Is Psychodermatology?

Psychodermatology is an emerging new subspecialty in dermatology referring to the study of the relationship between the mind and the skin. Dermatologists with this specialty look at how skin disorders can affect mental health and how mental health affects our skin. 

The field gained prominence by researching patients who experience severe skin disorders and concluding that they have a higher prevalence of experiencing signs of depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders. Namely, among patients with disfiguring, chronic skin conditions, the prevalence of psychiatric disorders is 30% to 40%, which, surprisingly, is more significant than in patients with brain disorders, cancer, and heart issues combined. Researchers also looked into how psychiatric disorders can lead to skin conditions or make them worse.

Skin disorders can affect mental health, and mental health can affect our skin. 

This comes after years of referring patients with skin conditions to dermatologists that have treated the issue as if it fell solely within the realm of the body. Now, clinicians are starting to ask: If we treat the mind, will the skin condition also improve? Increasingly, we’re seeing that the answer is yes.

Skin Disorders That Can Be Exacerbated Due to Poor Mental Health

Skin disorders are one of the most common conditions that can be exacerbated by poor mental health, particularly stress, anxiety, depression, and emotional stimuli. Some of the most common skin disorders that can worsen as a result of mental health problems are:

Acne

Acne is an inflammatory condition caused by an overgrowth of bacteria or yeast on the skin. And although treatable, acne can be very persistent and often becomes resistant to various treatments, causing it to return.

Acne is also one of the most common skin disorders, with an estimated 80% of people between the ages of 11 and 30 years old being affected by it. What's more, research has shown that acne is one of the leading causes of anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts in teenagers and young adults. Additionally, over 50% of acne patients have reported that their acne worsens when stressed or emotionally triggered.

Psoriasis

Stress and anxiety have been reported in 44% of patients before the initial flare of psoriasis, and recurrent flares have been attributed to stress in up to 80% of individuals. This occurs because when we experience stress, our body releases the hormone cortisol, which can increase inflammation. And since psoriasis is an inflammatory skin condition, extreme stress can often trigger a flare-up.

Rosacea

Rosacea is an inflammatory condition characterized by redness, flushing, pustules, and visible blood vessels in the face. The root cause of this condition is unknown; however, it's speculated that lifestyle habits such as excessive drinking, eating spicy food, or using cosmetic products, as well as constant stress can trigger or worsen rosacea.

The proportion of people reporting emotional triggers due to rosacea is even higher than those with bacterial acne. Over 90% of rosacea patients reported that their symptoms were aggravated by stress, anxiety, and other emotional stimuli. At the same time, the same people said their symptoms caused them to feel anxious and depressed.

Hyperhidrosis

Hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, can also be exacerbated by emotional stimuli such as anxiety, fear, anger, and embarrassment. This is because when we experience these emotions, our sympathetic nervous system releases adrenaline, which is another stress hormone that activates sweat glands. Moreover, some research shows that individuals with hyperhidrosis often have a comorbid anxiety disorder as well.

When stressed, our body releases cortisol, increasing inflammation and triggering inflammatory skin conditions.

Hives

Similar to psoriasis, hives are also perceived as a psychodermatological condition that can be triggered by stress. The occurrence and its consequences, which include itching and swelling and can last more than six weeks, can further increase stress levels and create a vicious cycle that can affect the quality of life and worsen anxiety, depression, and mood disorders.

How To Improve Symptoms of Poor Mental Health and Heal Your Skin

If you suspect that poor mental health has a role in how your skin looks and the conditions you develop, then it's a good idea to take steps to improve your wellbeing. While seeking guidance from a professional is a good place to start, this isn't a possibility for many of us, which is why we have to try and find balance in our day-to-day life through diet, exercise, and relaxation techniques that will help calm our mind and ease our anxiety.

Below, we've gathered some tips that might help you on your journey to better mental and physical health.

Relaxation Techniques

When we adopt a stressful lifestyle, everything in our body works to shield us as much as possible, even to the point where our mind tricks us into believing this is a normal state to be in. This is why many people who are living with chronic stress don't even realize they need to do something about it until their health starts deteriorating.

So, the first step when dealing with chronic stress is to acknowledge that you need to find ways to relax and break the cycle. This can be by means of exercises such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, going for a short walk, or simply training yourself to set healthy boundaries between yourself and the things that might be causing you stress. These boundaries might be not checking social media first thing in the morning, communicating with your colleagues and letting them know that you won't be replying to their emails on weekends, or switching your phone off for 15-20 minutes a day and clearing your head in peace and quiet.

Eating Nourishing Foods

Nourishing foods that contain antioxidants, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals can directly improve the health of your skin while also boosting cognitive function, relieving stress, and improving your mood and general wellbeing. When you’re constantly stressed, depressed, anxious, and dealing with skin conditions on top of all that, it's best to gravitate toward a more nourishing menu rather than relying on inflammatory foods such as junk food.

Spending Time in the Sun

Spending time in the sun is highly therapeutic and has been found to directly help improve some inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis. Therefore, try to catch some healthy rays in the morning when it isn’t strong enough to burn you but is good enough to improve your vitamin D levels, ease stress, and help your skin look its best.

Vitamin Supplementation

Alongside eating good food, supplementing with vitamins and minerals can also be beneficial in providing your body with the nutrients it needs to function properly, manage stress levels, and heal your skin. Vitamin D, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), omega-3 fatty acids, and pre + probiotics can be particularly helpful when trying to improve mental health and heal the skin. Minerals such as zinc, iron, magnesium, and calcium have also been found to help reduce stress levels, relieve anxiety, and improve sleep quality.

Vitamin D, NAC, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics can help improve mental health and heal the skin.

Exercising

Exercise is one of the most effective ways to improve mental health. Not only does it help relieve stress, but it also boosts self-esteem, helps improve sleep quality, and has a positive effect on your overall wellbeing. So, if you’re feeling down, anxious, or stressed, try to fit some exercise into your day, or pick up a hobby that you enjoy and that helps you stay consistent with being active, and you might be surprised by how much it can help improve your mental health and, as a result, the health of your skin.

Visiting a Skin Expert

While this option might not be for everyone due to various reasons, it's nevertheless one to consider if you’re struggling with both mental health and skin conditions. A skin expert can help you understand your skin better, figure out the root cause of your issues, and develop a personalized treatment plan that will help improve your skin's health and overall appearance.

The bottom line is that poor skin health can have a negative effect on our mental health, so by taking care of our skin and seeing it improve through a consistent skincare routine and treatments that work for us, we can, in turn, help improve our mental health.

Doing Your Research on This Fascinating Topic

The connection between mental health and skin is a fascinating topic as it helps you understand how everything in our body is connected in a certain way. While this is still a new area of research, it's one that is growing rapidly, so there is bound to be new information coming out all the time. Therefore, if you’re struggling with mental health and skin conditions, make sure to do your research on this topic, as it might just help you improve your situation in more ways than one.

Closing Thoughts

Mental health and skin health are interconnected in many ways, and while the exact mechanisms are still being studied, it's clear that taking care of our skin can help improve our mental health and vice versa.

So, if you’re struggling with mental health and skin conditions, make sure to take care of both by doing things like spending time in the sun, eating a nutritious diet, exercising, and developing a good relationship with your body. Stay up-to-date on this fascinating topic by doing your research, and most importantly, remember that you’re not alone in this. There are people out there who can help you on your journey to better mental and skin health.

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