If you think it's all in your mind, think again. Not acknowledging the fact that you may be stressed doesn't make it disappear into thin air! On the contrary, the more you ignore it, the more it tends to show up, manifesting in physically visible symptoms. You see, stress is one heck of a vain, attention-seeking wretch of an affliction that doesn't take to deliberate dismissal and inattention very kindly. The seeds of stress may be sown in the mind, but that's not where it restricts its reach to. Stress and anxiety often tend to tamper with your metabolism and immunity, which leads to the occurrence of a lot of ailments, mostly affecting the skin, digestive functions, blood circulation and the hormones. Now, the fact that digestion problems, circulation issues and hormonal imbalances directly affect, and are frequently symptomized by, the condition of the dermal layer is not an unknown one. Skin rashes and various other disorders caused by stress and anxiety are very common, though stress as a causative agent of rashes is seldom identified or acknowledged. Skin Rashes Caused by Anxiety and Stress Any sort of mental agony, be it stress, anxiety, depression or paranoia eats up a lot of cerebral energy that could have been used for biological regulatory functions. The rhythms and frequencies of neurotransmitters that carry signals to the endocrine system for releasing specific hormones to carry out specific physiological functions get disrupted. This leads to a disharmony in the endocrine functions as the regulation of hormonal secretions literally goes to the dogs. Now, look at the joint situation - sluggish metabolism + weakened immune system + hormones gone haywire = perfect setting for dermal disaster of the year! Owing mostly to the disrupted hormones, the sebaceous glands get over-activated. Coupled with excessive sweating that happens during episodes of anxiety, this attracts and accumulates dirt and bacteria which leads to a blockage of skin pores. Now, flipping the coin to the other side, a sluggish metabolism suppresses appetite and doesn't allow the body to extract enough nutrition from the food you eat and also makes bowel movements irregular. That simply adds up to insufficient availability of vitamins and other nutrients which weakens the immune system. Also, irregular bowel movement leads to an unhealthy build-up of toxins in the bloodstream, which ultimately leads to a number of skin problems including rashes. To make things worse, the weakened immune system is unable to put up a decent fight against the bacteria and other germs and toxins which allows these infectious agents free ground for growth and propagation without any fear of resistance from the host's internal defenses. Result? Rashes, acne, hives, pimples, eczema... you get it, don't you? How to Get Rid of Rashes Caused by Stress? Get rid of stress, for God's sake! It's as simple as that! Unless your mind is put at ease and your senses are relaxed, no amount of ointments, herbs, pills or salves are going to bring a permanent respite from those ugly, itchy rashes and stress related dermal breakouts. Practicing relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation will help put the mind at ease and allow the body enough opportunity to get back on the normal track. Drinking lots of water and eating fiber rich food will help regularize your bowel movements, mobilizing your digestive cycle and gearing up your metabolism to its former pace. Detoxification is the key here. Detoxify your mind by practicing yoga and meditating and detoxify your body from the ill-effects of "comfort foods" (all those chocolate bars, candies and fries you hogged on to distract yourself from the pressures of life and feel good about yourself, even if for some fleeting moments) by eating lots of fresh, citrus fruits, green vegetables and salads and totally cutting out on junk food. To ease the itch and burning sensations of the rashes, you can use the appropriate medicated products for topical application for relief from the symptomatic discomfort. Consult a dermatologist before going jetting off on a self-medication spree though! Take the appropriate vitamins and antioxidants to boost up your immune system so that it fights the infections and toxins from within. A word of wisdom before I sign off - stay away from sugar, artificial food preservatives and food additives during the entire healing period, unless you wish to end up looking like you used that vegetable peeler on yourself instead of those potatoes!