VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: lek. Katarzyna Banaszczyk

There are many scientific reports about whether stress can cause skin problems. The influence of psychological factors, including stress, on skin he alth is a frequently raised issue among scientists. As research shows, up to 30-60% of patients with dermatological problems have symptoms related to depressive, delusional and anxiety disorders. How does stress affect the condition of the skin? What skin diseases can it induce and exacerbate?

The impact of stress on the condition of the skinis, contrary to appearances, very large. All because the nervous system and the skin are derived from the same germ layer, i.e. the ectoderm. This means that even in terms of embryos, the nervous system and the skin are very closely related. It's no wonder then that stress can have a negative effect on the skin.

Psychodermatology - what is it?

Psychodermatology is a branch of science that deals with the relationship between psychiatry and skin diseases. Although they may seem to be two different areas, research has proven that mental factors and stress have a huge impact on the course of many dermatoses.

In addition, some dermatoses predispose to the appearance of psychiatric diseases.

Relationships of psychiatry and dermatology were noticed already in antiquity (Hippocrates). As early as 1857, the so-called skin neuroses were diagnosed in patients, which were called diseases such as parasitic madness or alopecia areata.

Stress and psoriasis

Psoriasis is a dermatological disease that is very often associated with psychological factors and stress.

Psoriasis is a dermatological disease that significantly reduces the quality of life of patients, manifested primarily by the presence of red-brown lumps on the skin, i.e. skin eruptions, raised above the skin surface.

These lumps may be covered with a build-up of scale. These changes most often appear in the area:

  • elbows,
  • knee,
  • and also in the area of ​​the cross,
  • buttock
  • and on the hairy scalp.

According to scientific studies,even 39% of patients suffering from psoriasis confirmed the occurrence of a stressful event in the month before the onset of the disease . This is evidenced by the fact that severe stressmay predispose to the emergence of a dermatological disease.

Other factors that may trigger the onset of psoriasis symptoms include:

  • bacterial infections,
  • viral infections,
  • mechanical damage
  • or taking certain medications (e.g. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, some beta-blockers).

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Stress-induced dermatological conditions

Not only psoriasis can be triggered and exacerbated by psychogenic factors. Stress-related dermatoses also include:

  • common acne- a chronic skin disease accompanied by seborrhea. It occurs most often in adolescents (it affects up to 85% of boys and 80% of girls), although it can also occur in adults,
  • rosacea- mainly chronic erythematous changes are associated with rosacea. Less frequent in this case are papules and pustules - these changes accompany the advanced form of the disease. Rosacea is also aggravated by alcohol, topical steroids and hormonal disorders,
  • atopic dermatitis (AD)- it is an inflammatory, chronic and allergic dermatosis characterized by erythematous-exudative changes accompanied by persistent itching. The disease most often begins in childhood. It may be accompanied by other allergic diseases, such as, for example, allergic asthma or allergic rhinitis,
  • alopecia areata- a condition which is based mainly on inflammatory changes within the hair follicle. It is manifested clinically by the appearance of alopecia foci, typically in the occipital and fronto-parietal areas. These fires are regular in shape. The disease most often affects young people,
  • urticaria- dermatosis characterized by the appearance of so-called urticaria on the skin. These are porcelain-white or pinkish changes. These blisters are raised above the level of the skin and are markedly itchy. The cause of the formation of hives is the increase in the permeability of the skin's blood vessels,
  • lichen planus- chronic dermatosis, manifested by the presence of lumpy lesions on the skin and mucous membranes. The skin lesions are about 1-3 mm in size, have a polygonal shape and are shiny, which is their typical property. Skin eruptions are often accompanied by itching. Skin changes affect suchLocations such as the inner surfaces of the wrists, the backs of the feet, the front of the lower legs, forearms, and the area around the navel and genitals.

These are just some of the dermatological diseases that can be triggered by stress factors. You should be aware that dermatology and psychiatry are fields of medicine that are significantly related to each other.

Therefore, regardless of whether we suffer from dermatoses or not - it is worth maintaining a he althy balance between work and duties, and rest and private life in order to reduce the level of stress.

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Category:

Dermatology