What Is Psychodermatology?

Psychodermatology uses holistic approaches to treat skin conditions. The practice acknowledges the effect of the skin on the psyche and vice versa. For example, some patients may have a dermatological problem that causes a psychological problem like eczema, or a psychiatric disorder that comes with skin symptoms like obsessive skin picking.

The idea that the skin and the mind are connected may sound new to you but, studies examining the link between the mind and skin have been going on since the 1930s. You may initially think that Psychodermatology is just a scheme to take people's money, but experts will confidently tell you that it's not. These experts think that the skin/mind connection is obvious since the skin and the brain are made from the same embyotic layer.

When you stop and think about that, it is actually pretty obvious. Emotions like stress and shock can easily result in a skin-related disaster. However, when you visit a doctor for the issue, rarely is a conversation had about what could have triggered the problem. Think like when people breakout in hives because the are incredibly anxious. A doctor may just see the hives and treat it, instead of figuring out what caused the hives to develop in the first place.

A 2011 study conducted by the British Association of Dermatologists found that 85 percent of dermatology patients claimed that the psychosocial parts of their skin condition were a major part of their illness. Nearly a fifth of respondents admitted to needing psychological treatment to help with the mental distress that has been caused by their skin issues. Elle magazine reported that 10 million people in the U.K. are now thought to have been affected by a psychologically psychologically by a skin problem.

Patients are usually shut down pretty quickly by their doctors saying that it's "only eczema" or "only acne." That leaves patients feeling helpless to solve their skin issue and can possibly add to their problems. Doctors underestimating skin conditions is a problem that psychodermatology hopes to address.

So what does a psychodermatologic approach look like? It's a combination of psychotherapies with traditional skin care products. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most commonly used method used for those who want to learn more about how their skin is behaving and how they can attempt to fix that with their mind. Sometimes, psychiatric medications are prescribed if symptoms persist or are particularly severe.

There are currently only 6 psychodermatology clinics in the United States, but there are numerous physicians who are interested in the practice. Usually, your doctor will give you a referral to see a doctor who specializes in psychodermatology, or will direct you to a practitioner who can. Be warned though, since this is such a small niche practice, you could run into long waiting lists. But don't despair. Hopefully that will soon change. Experts believe that the more we talk about this specialty, the more attention and ultimately funding, it will get.

If you are interested in learning more about psychotherapy and its history, there is a great article on the Association For Psychoneurocutaneous Medicine of North America website.