Mind-body connection may extend to skin
BOSTON, MA — If you’ve ever blushed, you know your skin can reflect your feelings. It makes sense, then, that emotional trouble might show up as skin trouble. Although cause and effect can be difficult to pin down, considerable data suggest that in some people, psychological factors can activate or worsen certain skin conditions. Recognizing and treating these psychological issues might help the skin, too, reports the November 2006 issue of Harvard Women’s Health Watch.
Interest in the mind-skin connection has led to a field called psychodermatology. Its aim is not to substitute psychotherapy for medicine, but to recognize emotional issues that may affect the way skin problems respond to medical treatment.
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