5 Skin Conditions That Get Worse with Stress (and How to Chill) – Shape Magazine

Yes, you can treat your stressed-out skin topicallyand you're going to want to treat each condition as you would normally, regardless of whether it's caused by stress or not, says Dr. Gohara. Foracne, eczema, and psoriasis, a gentle, non-soap cleanser is key. And for acne, topical meds including those with benzoyl peroxide, retinol, or salicylic acidwork best. Obv, most treatments are condition-specific and best prescribed by your derm.

But that's treating the symptoms of stress rather than the root cause. Stress management is more about what's going on inside rather than outside, which is why taking care of that mental stuff is a priority. It is clear that a skinmind relationship does exist. There's so much of an overlap between dermatologic conditions and psychiatric conditions that there's an entire subspecialty within dermatology called psychodermatology, says Dr. Brown.

When it comes to treating stress that sends your skin off the wall, you can do the same stuff that chills you out otherwise. There have been studies in which acupuncture and massage therapy have been shown to reduce flare-ups and improve the state of people's eczema and their psoriasis, says Dr. Brown. But anything else that reduces stressmeditation, exercise, yoga, deep breathing, a little #selfcarecan go a long way.

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5 Skin Conditions That Get Worse with Stress (and How to Chill) - Shape Magazine