Can anxiety cause seborrheic dermatitis?

Anxiety is a mental disorder characterized by feelings of tension or worry. It is the most common psychological disorder in the United States. Anxiety disorders can range from mild to severe, and often coexist with other mental health conditions such as stress and depression.

Although the cause of seborrheic dermatitis is unknown, there are many potential triggers, including anxiety. Anxiety has been shown to increase the severity and duration of seborrheic dermatitis symptoms. Seborrheic dermatitis itself aggravates anxiety and it can become a vicious cycle. However, there are ways to manage anxiety and subsequently improve seborrheic dermatitis. 

Check out this video about how our mental health affects seb derm and the one mental change you can make to help prevent your rash from coming back:

Let’s take a deep dive:

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of tension and worry, which can affect many areas of your life. Anxiety may be the result of stress and it may be the cause of your stress. Your anxious feelings can range from mild feeling of discomfort to a full-blown anxiety disorder like panic attacks and phobias.

Fear is the root cause of anxiety. Fear is an emotion that warns us about danger and helps us protect ourselves. It’s natural to feel fear in dangerous situations. But it can become a problem when fear and anxiety is out of proportion to the danger we face or when it lasts for a long time.

Further reading:How to overcome the fear of being cheated on

Link between anxiety and seborrheic dermatitis

Anxiety is a common problem that affects people of all ages. Anxiety doesn’t exist by itself. Inevitably, when you’re anxious, you will feel stressed. For some, these feelings can be so severe that it interferes with their daily lives. Stress and anxiety can also have a negative impact on skin health.

There is a strong relationship between anxiety, stress and seborrheic dermatitis. In fact, many people find that their seborrheic dermatitis flares up when they are under a lot of stress. This makes sense, as stress can aggravate any condition.

Anxiety in itself doesn’t cause seborrheic dermatitis but it can trigger SD flares in people who already have seborrheic dermatitis or who are already predisposed to the condition.

When you’re feeling anxious, your body releases the hormone cortisol. This “fight or flight” response is important to protect ourselves but when you’re chronically anxious and your cortisol levels are elevated for a long time, it can cause a lot of problems.

Anxiety can even make it harder for your skin to recover from an episode of seborrheic dermatitis, leading to a vicious cycle where symptoms keep coming back.

Further reading: Is seborrheic dermatitis psychosomatic?

What does chronic anxiety do to us?

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, worry, or fear that can be mild or severe. It’s normal to feel anxious in certain situations, such as before an exam or when meeting new people. But if you’re feeling anxious all the time and it’s interfering with your daily life, you may have chronic anxiety.

Chronic anxiety can cause physical and emotional problems. Physically, chronic anxiety can lead to headaches, muscle tension, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Emotionally, chronic anxiety can make you feel irritable and tense much of the time. You may also find it hard to concentrate or remember things.

Anxiety can have a significant impact on your quality of life. It can make it difficult to work or attend school, and affect your daily activities. It also increases the risk for other health problems, such as heart disease and depression.

Anxiety even has a number of negative effects on skin health. It can make wrinkles more noticeable and worsen skin conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis and eczema.

Anxiety can also contribute to DNA damage. Epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol are all released during periods of anxiety and stress. These hormones may contribute to DNA damage.

How to manage anxiety?

Chronic anxiety can have a significant impact on daily life. People with chronic anxiety may struggle to function effectively in their jobs, relationships, and daily lives. The symptoms of chronic anxiety can be debilitating, and can significantly impact quality of life. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing chronic anxiety, but strategies that include relaxation techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and medication may help to improve symptoms.

Online-Therapy is one of the most popular virtual cognitive-behavioral-therapy (CBT) programs available. For an affordable monthly fee, you get a weekly live session, unlimited messaging to your personal therapist, video tutorials, worksheets and so much more. Check them out now for a 20% discount on your first month. 

If you think stress may be causing your seborrheic dermatitis, it’s important to find ways to manage your anxiety. Don’t try to tough it out on your own. Get support from family and friends. You may even need medical treatment. Talk to your doctor about your options.

Further reading: One simple way to deal with maternal anxiety

To wrap it up

Anxiety can be a major contributor to seborrheic dermatitis. While further research is needed to determine the exact cause and effect, it is clear that managing anxiety can be an important part of treating seborrheic dermatitis. If you are struggling with anxiety and seborrheic dermatitis, talk to your doctor about how you can manage your anxiety and improve your skin health.