Does Your Skin Need a Shrink?

 By Emily Woodruff, TotalBeauty.com

If you suffer from acne, psoriasis or another skin condition, chances are you’ve tried everything to get rid of it. From crazy diets to expensive procedures, there’s no rock that goes unturned in the fight for clear, healthy-looking skin. But have you tried wishing it away? Psychodermatology, an emerging field that makes the connection between skin health and mental health, suggests that using your mind to get rid of a problematic skin condition isn’t such a crazy concept.

Related: 13 Best Anti-Aging Skin Care Products

The Mind-Skin Connection

Blushing when you’re embarrassed. Sweating when you’re anxious. Breaking out under stress. Though you might not realize it, your skin and your mind are inextricably connected, starting in the womb.  “After the sperm and egg come together, three germ layers form at 5 to 8 weeks,” says Dr. Josie Howard, M.D., a clinical instructor in the psychiatry and dermatology departments at University of California, San Francisco, and a member of the Simple Skincare Advisory Board. One of the germ layers, the ectoderm, will split to form both the nervous system (which controls the fight-or-flight response) and the skin. Howard points to this connection as the reason you’re sometimes forced to wear your heart on our sleeve (e.g., blushing after a mistake or sweating profusely during a first date).

Related: The ABCs of Acne

What Does It Aim to Fix?

Dr. Amy Weschler, M.D., is one of two doctors in the country board-certified in both dermatology and psychiatry. She lays out a common situation she sees in patients: People experiencing a skin condition are usually stressed, sleep-deprived or maxed-out in some other unhealthy way. When psoriasis or acne flares up as a result, the person gets even more stressed about the shame and embarrassment of having a rash, says Weschler. As a dermatologist, Weschler can prescribe over-the-counter treatments, but she also spends 30 minutes to an hour with each patient talking about what might be causing the condition from a mental perspective. Psychodermatology addresses underlying mental issues that might be causing acne, as well as issues that come to the surface (no pun intended) as a result of acne.

Do You Need a Psycho-dermatologist?

In her book “The Mind-Beauty Connection,” Weschler cites stress as the No. 1 reason your skin isn’t healthy. “The biggest beauty thief and ager of all is the stress our minds try to endure day in and day out,” she says. And science agrees. In a study performed at the University of California at San Francisco, the skin of 27 graduate students was examined during exam time and again during spring break. When students were worrying about exams, their skin was slower to repair itself.

As a nation, statistics suggest Americans are superstressed — three out of four doctor’s visits are due to stress-related illnesses, according to The American Institute of Stress. When that stress manifests as a skin condition like acne, psoriasis, eczema or hair loss, it’s time to seek therapy or another stress-reduction strategy.

A Typical Psycho-dermatology Session

Howard begins her sessions by talking about the basics, like sleep, exercise, diet and exposure to the outdoors. “It sounds simple, but these are the things that are often neglected,” says Howard. Neglecting one of these things leads to higher stress levels, which breaks down the skin’s ability to recover and regenerate itself. The most common way people neglect self-care? “Sleep is where most people try to cut corners,” says Howard.

Howard utilizes talk therapy in her sessions — discussing stress triggers and developing coping mechanisms. For some patients, this means expressing anger directly instead of resorting to picking at their skin. For others, that means de-emphasizing an outbreak and going out on a date or seeing friends — even if they’d rather just stay in and hide.

Lastly, Howard equips her patients with stress reduction techniques like progressive relaxation. “It’s a mindfulness technique that starts at your toes and you work your way to your scalp, tensing and relaxing each muscle group,” says Howard.

Does It Work?

Relaxing, eating right, exercising and sleeping enough all sound like the foundation of a healthy life, but can changing your lifestyle actually have an effect on your skin? Science says yes. Researchers at University of Massachusetts Medical School found that patients listening to meditation tapes while receiving UV light treatments saw skin clear up four times faster than those with light treatment alone. A 2006 study found that 57 percent of participants with alopecia had total or partial hair growth while undergoing hypnosis.

What’s more, going to a skin shrink can hold you accountable for the lifestyle habits taking their toll on your skin.

"It’s helpful to talk to someone about it and discuss what you’re actually doing and what your goal is," says Howard. Overall, Howard says most of her patients see an improvement in their skin in a few weeks.

Try It At Home

So, you don’t have access to a derm/therapist hybrid? Weschler lays out a nine-day plan to younger-looking, less-stressed skin in her book.

Day one: Simplify. Weschler suggests you pare down your skin routine, only relying on cleanser, moisturizer, SPF, spot treatment and a twice-weekly exfoliator. Start a sleep routine that includes swearing off all caffeine four to six hours before bed, turning off electronics one hour before bed and keeping your bedroom dark and quiet. Finally, get into the habit of washing your sheets and pillowcases once a week — it will cut down on acne-causing bacteria.

Day two: Relax. Spend time with friends, get a massage or have sex. Set aside five minutes daily for a deep-breathing exercise.

Day three: Go green. Weschler suggests you get outside for at least 20 minutes each day. Leave your iPod behind and take in your surroundings instead.

Day four: Eat clean. Avoid fast food, fried food and anything processed. Keeping your blood sugar stable can maintain a low stress level.

Day five: Make a move. Schedule at least 30 minutes of exercise. In one study, researchers found that six months of strength training actually reversed aging on a cellular level in participants 65 and older.

Day six: Foster friendships. Plan a dinner with friends and family. Spending time with loved ones is therapeutic and proven to lower stress levels.

Day seven: Learn to meditate.

Day eight: Sleep in or nap. “Naps have been shown scientifically to benefit almost every aspect of human wellness, from the physical rewards of lowering your risk of heart disease and repairing cells to the more obvious ones of lifting your mood and stamina, knocking down stress and making you more productive,” says Weschler.

Day nine: Reflect. Ask yourself how you can keep up all of the good habits you’ve been forming.

Related: Feng Shui Your Life