📣 For more lifestyle news, click here to join our WhatsApp Channel and also follow us on Instagram
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Most of us don’t know this but our mental health is intrinsically connected to the health of our skin. Skin disorders like acne, rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema have been linked to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and poor quality of life. And there is an actual term for it – psychodermatology.
So, what is it? It is basically the association of “psychiatry and dermatology as psychological stress and derangements are known to aggravate skin problems,” explained Dr Rinky Kapoor, Consultant Dermatologist, Cosmetic Dermatologist and Dermato-Surgeon, The Esthetic Clinics,
Psychodermatology helps to decode the connection between the mind and skin. It means the interaction between the mind and the skin. “It involves the evaluation of how certain skin disorders are connected to the psyche,” Dr Kapoor elaborates.
Dr Kapoor explains that some of these skin conditions are triggered when one is under tremendous stress owing to personal and professional reasons.
Psychodermatology is, by no means, a new field of research although not as common, so why is it gaining prominence now? Dr Kapoor attributes it to a majority of people being stressed due to hectic schedules or personal and professional hardships, after which they’re known to experience a plethora of skin problems.
The technique is used to help in the wholesome treatment of the patient, dealing with psychological elements that trigger or worsen a certain skin condition, as that can help to treat as well as prevent recurrences of skin diseases.
According to Dr Kapoor, there are no side effects to it as it basically involves counselling, lifestyle changes and behavorial techniques to tackle the mental issues.
Although simple psychological issues like stress and lifestyle related problems connected to skin disorders can be evaluated and managed by a dermatologist, however, there are certain disorders that need psychological intervention.
Problems like body dysmorphia where the patient feels that they have an abnormal-looking body despite them being completely normal, or trichotillomania where the patient pulls out clumps of hair from the scalp to relieve their stress) or diseases related to the immune system like severe psoriasis, or skin disorders related to psychiatric medications, all have to be evaluated by a mental health expert and dermatologists alone may not be able to diagnose or solve the root cause of the issue.
📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don’t miss out on the latest updates!
