According to a national survey conducted by the British Association of Dermatologists, a total of 17% of dermatology patients need psychological support and a further 14% have a psychological condition which exacerbates their skin disease.1 Research also provides a strong positive correlation between lifestyle factors – including smoking tobacco and alcohol consumption – and inflammation at the skin level.2-4
Practitioners who take the time to explore triggers, provide education and involve patients in the prescribing process will achieve better treatment outcomes.5 There is growing evidence supporting the efficacy of holistic approaches to dermatology in increasing success rates and relapse prevention. Combining these alternative approaches with traditional medical treatments yields better, long-term outcomes.6-9
Psychodermatology addresses interactions between mind and skin, and has recently seen a rise in popularity in UK dermatology clinics.10 This is possibly contributed to by a pilot study of 68…
