Sayings such as “It gets under your skin,” “She’s flushed with shame,” or “I could go off the deep end” show how closely skin and soul are connected. The blush from joy, shame or anger is caused by the fact that the blood flow to the facial skin – triggered by certain hormones – is driven up for a short time. Pale with fright, on the other hand, is caused by a reflex increase in blood flow to the heart. Whether it is the pleasant or an unpleasant shiver that runs down your spine or your hair stands up in fright, it is always caused by an abrupt contraction of the skin.
When the soul “blisters”
In addition to these short-term effects, emotional state can also trigger longer-lasting skin impairments. Stress, grief and other psychological stresses can cause red patches or skin blemishes to suddenly form.
Hypersensitive reactions to environmental influences, not wearing the usual cream or perfume can also be possible reasons for skin problems. Conversely, positive moods also have a positive effect on the skin. Those who are balanced and happy seem to radiate from within.
When skin diseases affect the quality of life
However, the reverse can also occur, namely that skin diseases become the trigger for mental problems. People with severe skin diseases can be similarly severely – or even more severely – restricted in their quality of life as people with severe internal diseases, for example heart disease or diabetes.
According to the German Dermatological Society (DDG), the supposedly harmless chronic wheals or urticaria, for example, impairs the emotions, social life and life energy of affected patients to the same extent as coronary heart disease; sleep is even more severely disturbed.
Methodological study of quality of life in skin diseases
The effects of various skin diseases such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and acne on quality of life were studied with the aid of special questionnaires.
These questionnaires asked whether and to what extent skin disease patients suffer from their disease, how severely they are affected by skin diseases compared with diseases of other organ systems, and how much dermatologists succeed in reducing patients’ discomfort with their diagnostics and therapy and leading them to health as defined by the WHO as physical, mental, and social well-being.
Such standardized assessments of quality of life have been used for several years to evaluate disease symptoms and the therapeutic success of acute and chronic skin diseases and to classify new treatment methods.
The findings thus obtained show that skin diseases should not be dismissed as “disorders of well-being” or “cosmetic impairments” with which patients simply have to live.
Better counseling leads to healing success
Quality-of-life research, however, also demonstrates the importance of “talking medicine” for patients with skin conditions. A study from Jena shows that the quality of life of female patients with hair loss is more related to their psychological processing of the disease process than to the objective symptoms.
In order for the dermatologist to be able to help his patients in this regard, time is needed for a detailed consultation.
Patients would even pay extra
More than two-thirds of the population are willing to pay for a preferred consultation by the doctor himself, according to the results of an image study of German dermatologists. The detailed consultation without time pressure and the proven higher physician competence are thereby for the test persons crucial service achievements for their Zuzahlungsmotivation.
