Having just celebrated National Healthy Skin Month, it is vital to understand everything that goes into having healthy skin. Healthy skin can have an impact on many different aspects of a person’s well-being.
Having healthy skin can help with self-confidence, while suffering from a skin condition has been shown to have a strong connection to a person’s mental health. The relationship between the two is known as the ‘brain-skin axis,’ which how each affects the other.
Impacts Of Mental Health On Skin Health
Mental health can impact your hormonal balance, immune system, and inflammatory responses, which have implications on the skin in the following ways.
Inflammation
Chronic stress and other mental conditions could result in the release of hormones like cortisol, which cause or aggravate inflammation throughout the body. The inflammation can lead to or exacerbate existing skin issues like psoriasis, eczema, acne, alopecia areata, and rosacea.
Worsening Autoimmune Conditions
Autoimmune skin conditions happen when the immune system attacks healthy skin tissue or cells. They include scleroderma, lupus, vasculitis, and dermatitis herpetiformis. Stress, anxiety, and depression could trigger the conditions’ flare-ups, causing even more uncomfortable symptoms.
Neurotransmitters
These chemical messengers facilitate communication between nerve cells, and they play a significant role in skin health. Mood disorders and stress could result in neurotransmitter imbalances like serotonin and dopamine, which could result in the development or worsening of various skin conditions.
Emotional And Hormonal Imbalance
Emotions and hormones heavily influence the skin’s behavior. Therefore, being stressed or nervous can result in significant changes in your skin, like increased sebum production, erythema, and water loss. These imbalances could cause or aggravate skin conditions or cause new ones, such as alopecia, to develop.
Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Many people adopt coping mechanisms like smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and drug use to deal with mental health issues. These could result in further inflammation, impaired wound healing, and premature aging.
Impacts Of Skin Conditions On Mental Health
Unlike many invisible conditions, skin conditions could be the first thing people notice about someone, meaning they have substantial psychological impacts. Dermatologists have found that skin conditions affect mental health in the following ways.
Reduced Self-Esteem
This is the first and most common psychological effect skin conditions have on people. Conditions like acne, psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema result in red and inflamed skin. They can also result in scars after healing.
These visible symptoms increase the chances of people experiencing anxiety or depression because they cannot be hidden and may make the person feel like they stand out in public.
The Itch-Scratch Cycle
Constant itching is associated with conditions like eczema. That could result in higher anxiety and stress levels, which could also affect sleep patterns. That, in turn, aggravates the skin conditions, which could worsen a person’s mental health.
Tips To Maitain Healthy Skin
- Have a healthy skincare routine– An typical skin routine includes gentle cleansers, vitamin C serums, and a SPF moisturizer. You can also enjoy many retinoid benefits if you have mild acne, fine lines, or pigmentation irregularities.
- Skin cleansing– This helps remove all the impurities like dust, sweat, dead skin, and makeup that could clog pores.
- Have clean hands– Always wash your hands before applying any products or touching your skin. That eliminates dirt and bacteria you would have transferred on the skin.
Schedule Your Consultation
HMGS Dermatology has a team of expert dermatologists plus physician assistants dedicated to helping you reach your skin health goals using the most compassionate and advanced treatments.
Book an appointment at any of our three locations by clicking our Book online link to enjoy our personalized skin treatments and professional advice.
