I traveled
extensively in the past few weeks.
Usually, when traveling, I try to take time to relax through yoga and
meditation and control my stress level.
However, in this round of trips, I became negligent in keeping up with
my exercise routine. And, this morning,
two pimples popped up on my chin. This
is not the first time that I observed the direct link between my stress level
and skin condition. I’ve also seen the
same phenomena with my teenage son—whenever he is under stress (believe me,
it’s pretty often for a 14-year old), his eczema would flare up. So, is there a link between our mind and our
skin condition? A quick google scholar seems
to suggest yes.
The skin has long been recognized
as an organ system that responds to emotional stress and to psychological
influences with both short- and long-lasting effects. See, for example, Dunbar F: Emotions and Bodily Changes: A Survey of
Literature on Psychosomatic Interrelationships 1910-1953. 4th edition. New
York, Columbia, 1954, 594-631; and Selye H: The Physiology and Pathology of
Exposure to Stress. Montreal, Acta Inc.,
1950, 726-741. Studies have shown that the skin is a prominent target of key stress hormones,
such as corticotropin-releasing hormone, ACTH, cortisol, catecholamines,
prolactin, substance P, and nerve growth factor. Several of these stress hormones are known to
activate sebum secretion, expand pore size and cause inflammation in skin.
In a British studied published
in 1994, the role of stressful life events in the progress of various skin conditions
was studied retrospectively in patients who presented with either psoriasis, urticaria,
acne, alopecia and non-atopic eczema, malignant melanoma, fungal infection,
basal cell carcinoma and melanocytic naevi. When patients in the three groups
were matched for age, those with psoriasis were more likely to report that the
experience of stress pre-dated the onset and exacerbations of their condition
than patients with other skin diseases. For the psoriasis patients the most
common types of life events were family upsets (such as bereavements), and work
or school demands, but chronic difficulties were also common. The results
support the notion that stress is likely to be associated with skin problems. See AL'ABADIE, M.S.,
KENT, G.G. and GAWKRODGER, D.J. (1994), The relationship between stress and the
onset and exacerbation of psoriasis and other skin conditions. British Journal of Dermatology,
130: 199–203.
The stress
induced skin condition can be modulated by relaxation treatments. Case reports have described positive
responses with hypnosis, thermal biofeedback, meditation coupled with imagery,
and psychotherapy, and some investigators. See, for example, Frankel FH, Misch RC:
Hypnosis in a case of long-standing psoriasis in a person with character
problems. Int J Clin Exp Hypn 21:121-129, 1973; Goodman M: An hypothesis
explaining the successful treatment of psoriasis with thermal biofeedback: A
case report. Biofeed Self Regul 19(4):347-352, 1994; Tsushima WT: Current
psychological treatments for stress-related skin disorders. Cutis 42(5):
402-404, 1988; Kantor SD: Stress and psoriasis. Cutis 46:321-322, 1990; Winchell SA, Watts RA: Relaxation therapies
in the treatment of psoriasis and possible pathophysiologic mechanisms. J Am Acad Dermatol 18:101-104, 1988; Zachariae
R, Oster H, Bjerring P, Kragballe, K: Effects of psychologic intervention on
psoriasis: A preliminary report. J Am
Acad Dermatol 34:1008-1015, 1996; and Keinan G, Segl A, Gal U, Brenner S:
Stress management for psoriasis patients: The effectiveness of biofeedback and
relaxation techniques. Stress Med 11:235-241,
1995.
In one such report,
a group of researchers from UMass Medical School studied the influence of a mindfulness meditation-based
stress reduction intervention on rates of skin clearing in patients with moderate
to severe psoriasis. In the study, thirty-seven patients with
psoriasis were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a mindfulness
meditation-based stress reduction intervention guided by audiotaped
instructions during light treatments, or a control condition consisting of the
light treatments alone with no taped instructions. Four sequential indicators
of skin status were monitored during the study: a First Response Point, a
Turning Point, a Halfway Point, and a Clearing Point. The results suggest that the rate of skin
clearing in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis can be accelerated when
subjects engage in an audiotape-guided, meditative stress reduction exercise. The psychological outcome data, taken as a
whole, suggest that the tape intervention resulted in reduced distress and
increased well-being. See, Kabat-Zinn, Jon et
al. Psychosomatic Medicine, 60 (5), 625-632, 1998.
Therefore, psychological
wellbeing is essential for keeping a healthy and beautiful skin. Stress shows not only through deepened
wrinkles around your eyes and forehead but also through pimples and acne. Your
mind does affect your skin condition—be happy and be beautiful.
Thanks for
reading.
Connie
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