ABSTRACT
Clinical observations have identified psychological stress as precipitating, aggravating or prolonging many skin diseases and the psychosomatic aspects of many disorders have been the subject of research in recent years. Stress has been shown to delay skin barrier recovery, a delay which is blocked by sedative drugs, which is an outcome that has been reproduced with the inhalation of sedative aromas. With the growing accumulation of data detailing the presence and function of epidermal nerves, immune cells, cutaneous neuropeptides and other intercellular messengers, the complex picture of how the skin neuro-immuno-endocrine interface communicates with itself and within other systems is becoming better understood. Skin barrier disruption is associated with various common skin diseases such as dermatitis and psoriasis and involves exogenous and endogenous factors, for example environmental humidity and ageing. The greater the area of skin touched, the more favourably children view themselves and the more accurate and stable the body image develops.
