ABSTRACT
The skin plays a central role in social interaction among people, being the most immediately visible aspect of one's appearance. Most often, and under normal circumstances, emotional reactions become manifest in changes in the skin. For example, an embarrassing situation may cause a person to blush and a frightening circumstance may cause one to become pale and perspire. Skin disfigurement due to burns or disease can have a great impact on the psychological makeup of the individual, and hence on interpersonal relationships. Skin disease may cause serious emotional difficulty, including shame, social withdrawal, and depression. Certain pathological skin conditions can be triggered or exacerbated by emotional stress. These include psoriasis, dermatitis, acne, urticaria, pruritus, and alopecia areata.
