Raechele Cochran Gathers, MD Even without the medical data to back us up, most of us are aware of how our moods, stress levels, and general outlook on life can affect our skin and our health. If we’re stressed out, we’re more likely to get sick, have skin issues, and even suffer from hair loss. The health of our bodies is exquisitely, and perhaps infallibly, intertwined with our emotions and our mental health.
Science is finally validating what many of us have known for years: The mind-body relationship is complex and intimate. And our minds can absolutely affect our bodies. Mental health and skin problems are linked. From eczema to acne, an unsettled mind and negative emotions, can inflame and flare our skin issues. And now, there is information about vitiligo and depression. A recent study has found that not only are people with vitiligo more likely to suffer from depression; but also: People with depression are more likely to develop vitiligo!
What is Vitiligo?
Vitiligo is an autoimmune condition where your skin loses its natural color (pigment). Michael Jackson had this disease. Normally, our skin color comes from a chemical called melanin. In people with vitiligo, the cells that make melanin die or don’t function correctly. As a result, your skin develops white patches. Your hair can also lose its color.
The white patches of vitiligo are more obvious on darker skin. The white patches can occur anywhere, and can commonly occur around the eyes, mouth and on the hands.
Courtesy: James Heilman, MD
Vitiligo and Depression
Vitiligo is very distressing. This is especially true for people with skin of color, since the disease is so much more obvious on darker skin. Unfortunately, some people can be unkind to those with vitiligo—staring, asking offensive questions, or being outright hostile. People with vitiligo often suffer a great deal of mental distress and are more likely to develop major depression.
Vitiligo is not the only skin disease to be associated with depression. Hair loss (alopecia), psoriasis and eczema can also be associated with depression. But what may be less obvious is that depression itself can be associated with developing vitiligo!
Vitiligo and Depression: Depression Might Cause Vitiligo
Dr. Isabelle Vallerand, and colleagues, recently published a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology studying the bidirectional relationship between depression and vitiligo. They found that people with major depression had a 64% increased risk of developing vitiligo! One reason that people with major depression might be more likely to develop vitiligo could be because depression can increase the inflammation in your body. This increased inflammation can cause you to have a higher risk of autoimmune diseases like vitiligo.
Treating Depression Could Lower Vitiligo Risk
Depression should not be stigmatized. It’s a disease. It’s nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of. Treating depression is crucial for well-being. It also appears that treating depression could make you less likely to develop vitiligo. In Dr. Vallerand’s study, people who had major depression that was treated with antidepressant medication were less likely to have vitiligo.
Conclusion
Mental health has an incredible impact not just on our hearts and other internal organs, but also on our skin. Stress and depression are linked with several skin and hair diseases. And now, there is evidence that stress and depression itself can cause serious skin conditions like vitiligo. Even more reason for prioritizing our mental health through self-awareness, self-care, stress management.
Featured Image: Courtesy George Biard
