8 Tatler Schools Guide 2020 tatler.comONE OF THE GREAT JOYS
of boarding school is being with
your friends 24 hours a day, seven
days a week. But if you’re a teen-
ager with a highly visible skin
disorder such as acne, constantly
living under the gaze of your peers
can be stressful. A recent study in
an international journal specialis-
ing in dermatology showed that
almost 90 per cent of 15-year-olds
felt embarrassed and self-conscious
about their acne, causing a quarter
of them to avoid sport, swimming,
and even social interactions – and
this could be exacerbated in a
boarding environment.
‘The impact [for teenagers with
skin disorders] can be devastating,
leading to low mood, depression
and social avoidance as well as the
inevitable lack of self-esteem andself-belief,’ says Marina Gardiner
Legge, headmistress of Heathfield
School in Ascot.
The resilience and mental well-
being of our teenagers is a growing
concern. Mental health network,
Emerging Minds: Action for Child
Mental Health, recently reported
that one in 10 children and young
people have a diagnosable mental
health problem, such as depres-
sion, anxiety or self-harm. Stress
levels during the teenage years are
compounded by the desire to fit in- something that neuroscientist
Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore
explains in her book about the
teenage brain, Inventing Ourselves,
is a genuine physiological need at
this stage of life.
While a highly visible skin con-
dition can affect mental health,
the emerging medical discipline of
psychodermatology is revealing
that, in turn, mental wellbeing
also has an impact on our skin.
‘There are well-established, bio-
chemical links between the expe-
rience of psychological stress and
your skin,’ explains eminent psy-
chodermatologist Dr Alia Ahmed
of the Royal London Hospital
and private Eudelo Clinics on
Harley Street and in Vauxhall.
‘When you feel stressed, your
brain releases a number of chemi-
cals and they kick off inflamma-
tion in your body and your skin.
That inflammation is the driver
for most skin diseases like eczema,
psoriasis and acne. This then goes
around in a vicious circle.’
However, Dr Stefanie Williams,
medical director at the Eudelo
Clinic, cautions that we should
not see stress as the sole cause of
skin conditions. ‘If you have a
general tendency towards acne
and other skin conditions, then
stress such as exams can make it
worse. But if you don’t have any
genetic acne predisposition at all,
then stress won’t cause you to
breakout.’ In short, stress – and
other lifestyle factors – can aggra-
vate pre-existing acne, but does
not cause it.
Psychodermatology treats skin
conditions by combining tradi-
tional medicine with effective
psychological techniques such as
psychotherapy, mindfulness andSkin deepPsychodermatology is
tackling the impact that
skin conditions and
disorders such as acne have
on teen mental health
By TORI CADOGAN10-19-Schools-Guide-Feature-Psychodermatology.indd 8 13/08/2019 08:18