Introduction

The enormous growth in the last two decades in cosmetic surgery, dieting and the fashion industry are all the indicators of the huge investment that society puts into the ‘appearance industry’. In the western world, people are subjected to the same message constantly: ‘Attractive people are popular, happy, successful, interesting and are often loved and worshipped’ (Papadopoulos & Walker, 2003). Of course, cosmetic and physical perfection are rarely associated with those experiencing cutaneous conditions. Consequently, people with dermatological illnesses are left feeling minimised as individuals, tend to be highly sensitive to the social significance of their actions and appearance, to anticipate rejection by others, and to experience embarrassment and/or shame (Kellett & Gilbert, 2001).

Therefore, it is not surprising that due to their visibility and appearance-altering quality, skin disorders have important psychological implications for the sufferer, making the long-established link between psychological factors and dermatology even stronger. Yet, little attention has been paid to them or to the ways in which to address them. Indeed, as the prevalence and aetiology of the majority of skin diseases are neither well known nor understood by the general public, dermatological ailments are often surrounded by misconceptions and stigma.

The link between dermatological and psychological problems has long been prominent in the published literature. Dermatology has a distinct relation with psychosomatics as the skin has strong psychological implications.