InSKINcurities: Eczema and Depression

Dear Sensitive Skin:

Appearance is everything. Or, so America tells us.

Unless you are draped in the hijabs of the eastern world, your eczema or psoriasis may be very difficult to hide. Every person you meet has a conscious or subconscious opinion about you which is based upon your appearance. More important, is the opinion that you have of yourself.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• How often do you look in the mirror once your skin has broken out? Do you become obsessed with how you look, checking for progress every 5 minutes? Or, do you avoid looking at your reflection at all for weeks, months on end?
• How social are you once your skin has flared-up? Do you socialize as much as usual? Or, do you cancel appointments, break dates, stand up loved ones when your skin has started to react?
• Is your mood based upon how your skin looks when you wake up in the morning?
• Do you actively date? Do you actively network? How often do you meet new people?

There are no right or wrong answers to the questions above. You must evaluate for yourself, what is healthy and what is not with regards to your own mental and social health.

Throughout the country there are more and more Dermatologist/Psychiatrist combinations becoming available for patients with chronic and terminal skin conditions. If your skin condition is beginning to have a severe impact on your mental stability, your mood, visiting a dermatologist and psychiatrist simultaneously may be a great option for you. 

Love,

Lhea J.