Nail biting (also known as Onychophagia) is a common problem (20-30% of the general population) that can persist into adulthood. Usually it is labelled a ‘bad habit’, but it is not always as simple as that, which is why…
The World Health Organisation and the International Menopause Society have designated October as World Menopause month. Raising awareness of health in menopause is extremely important, as this is something that will affect every woman at some point in their…
What is skin picking? Skin picking, also known as dermatotillomania, excoriation disorder or skin picking disorder, is a body-focused repetitive behaviour that occurs when a person cannot stop picking their skin. Skin picking disorder tends to affect females more…
As researchers delve deeper into the science of the gut and how it is interlinked throughout the body, studies have also come to show that gut health can also have an impact on our external organs—the skin, in particular.…
As this month marks Alopecia Awareness Month and the 15th Birthday of Alopecia UK, this post has been written to shed a light on the psychological impact of hair loss. Hair is an important element of our identity1,2. From…
As a psychodermatologist part of my job is to recognise my patients’ emotional struggles and enhance their mental wellbeing. This can be achieved (at least partly) through some simple measures that we can all practice in our daily lives,…
August marks Psoriasis Awareness month, a time to spread information about the condition and treatment options, as well as to support those who experience it. This post is dedicated to understanding psoriasis, the link with stress and mental health…
A large proportion of the patients I see have rosacea. This is a chronic condition with a large psychological impact. The relatively less well understood subtype (‘neurogenic rosacea’) is also a focus of this post as so many people…
I want to dedicate this blog post to discussing the link between mental health and acne. Although it is becoming well-recognised that acne can affect mental health (and vice versa), there is a long way to go before we…
What is Psychodermatology? There is a growing voice from dermatology patients telling me that their skin is impacting the way they feel and vice versa. Research shows that patients with the dermatological disease have higher levels of psychological and…