Skin diseases between stigma and prejudice

This article examines the historical and cultural stigma surrounding skin diseases, highlighting how literary, artistic, and social representations have shaped negative perceptions of dermatological conditions. It further explores how the integration of Medical Humanities – particularly visual arts – into medical education can enhance empathy, observational skills, and understanding of patients’ lived experiences. This article does not present primary empirical data but constitutes a narrative and interdisciplinary review aimed at exploring how art and literature have shaped the cultural perception of skin diseases. An interdisciplinary Medical Humanities approach was adopted, combining historical analysis, literary interpretation, and visual arts examination. Special attention was given to portrait and to contemporary sculptural works, such as Tamsin Van Essen’s Medical Heirlooms, to investigate how artistic representations contribute to reframing dermatological stigma. Findings show that skin diseases have historically been linked to moral judgment, impurity, and social deviance, with literature often reinforcing these prejudices by using dermatological signs as metaphors of vice or punishment. Conversely, visual art has frequently humanized individuals with skin conditions, restoring dignity and fostering empathy through realistic and symbolic portrayals. Contemporary art further challenges aesthetic norms by transfor ming imperfection into a site of recognition and emotional engagement. These artistic perspectives demonstrate the potential of art-based training to strengthen clinical observation and cultural sensitivity in dermatology. Visual arts and broader Medical Humanities offer a valuable framework for understanding skin diseases beyond their biological dimension.