Management strategies for borderline and narcissistic personality disorders in dermatology practice: a review

Abstract

Dermatologists are often ill-equipped to promptly identify and manage patients with personality disorders. Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) frequently present to dermatology clinics, particularly those that provide esthetic services. Although dermatologists should ideally utilize specific management strategies when working with these patients, there is a lack of awareness and availability of resources on how to do so. Here, we review the psychiatry, plastic and reconstructive surgery, and dermatology literature to provide recommendations on tangible management strategies for dermatologists to avoid common mistakes that are made while managing patients with BPD and NPD. Additionally, we also discuss common dermatologic manifestations of BPD and NPD to improve providers’ ability to identify patients with these conditions in their practices.

Keywords:

• Psychocutaneous dermatology
• cosmetic dermatology
• borderline personality disorder
• narcissistic personality disorder

Disclosure statement

John Koo has served as an advisor for AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Janssen, Eli-Lilly, Leo Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Strata Skin Science, Sun Pharma, and Ortho Dermatologics, none of which have been involved or are relevant to the subject matter of this manuscript. The other authors have no disclosures to report.