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A new breed of dermatologists says talk therapy and antidepressants may be the solution for some troubled complexions. By Sara Reistad-Long; Extreme Close-up
66Two years ago, Kristen, 26, noticed a rash on one of her legs. Over the next few weeks, the red bumps spread up and across her body. "It got so bad, it looked like I'd been burned," she recalls. "Doctors didn't know what to do. Nothing helped." Friends' recommendations eventually led her to Ted Grossbart, an assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard University Medical School who specializes in skin problems. Grossbart prescribed relaxation exercises, such as hypnosis and meditation, and treated her with standard talk therapy. After a few sessions, he told Kristen he believed there was a link between her eczema and a recent breakup with her boyfriend, who had been so verbally abusive, criticizing and yelling at her, that she stopped defending herself.
After six months of therapy-and zero skin treatments-the rash was gone. Kristen says she had always tried to bury her feelings, and in therapy she gradually learned to express herself. "I learned that if you have strong emotions about something and you don't deal with them, they don't just disappear," she says. "They find another way out. For me, it was through my skin."
In this case, science is on Kristen's side. Grossbart is just one of an increasing number of doctors who use the link between stress and appearance to try to solve otherwise-intractable skin problems. Often referred to as psychodermatology, the field includes skin experts who blend meditation, psychotherapy, and even antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs with standard dermatology. "When you're anxious and you develop a rash or your acne worsens, it's similar to anxiety causing an upset stomach," says Howard Fein, an attending dermatologist at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. "Nobody would think twice about making that association, but this one is also intuitive. Taking steps to reduce stress in your life may not only improve your emotional health, but your skin's health as well."
Stress releases hormones such as cortisol and...