https://doi.org/10.37229/fsa.fjms.2025.12.01

Psychological stress has long been associated with inflammatory skin conditions such as acne and eczema, yet the biological mechanisms underlying this relationship are not always clearly explained. This narrative review examines evidence suggesting that emotional regulation in the brain may influence skin health through dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and related neuroimmune pathways. Rather than broadly surveying psychodermatological research, this paper focuses on how stress processing in emotion-regulating brain regions can lead to altered hormonal signaling, immune activation, and impaired skin barrier function. By narrowing the scope to this pathway, the review highlights both the strengths and limitations of current evidence and identifies areas where further research is needed to better understand the brain–skin connection.