The skin is highly susceptible to various internal and external factors that often affect its appearance and vivacity. For example, most skin types are particularly prone to damage caused by the sun or germs. Further, skin and stress are highly interactive factors in regards to skin. Emotional and mental stresses have a significant impact on the integrity of the skin and often cause faster aging. It is imperative to pay attention to the body if you are keen on resolving skin problems fast and effectively.
Here’s how stress affects your skin:
Stress and Oily Skin
Heightened levels of stress prompt the body to produce a stress hormone known as cortisol. Cortisol regulates blood pressure, enhances the body’s metabolic reaction to glucose, and reduces inflammation. The body produces cortisol as a reaction mechanism during dangerous and stressful situations. However, excessive production of cortisol is detrimental to the skin. Typically, the body produces oil to protect the skin against imminent danger.
In cases where the body produces excessive oil, it tends to saturate the skin with oil and subsequently, clogs the pores. Further, the clogged pores then prevent moisture from reaching the top layer of the skin. Hence, your body perceives you to be dehydrated. Consequently, the body produces more oil to seal in “non-existent” moisture. It is advisable to use a moisturizer to assuage the effects of stress and oily skin. The moisturizer will prevent the production of oil through its hydration capabilities.
Stress Causes Acne
Stress can cause acne in different ways. For example, stress causes an elevated production of cortisol and thus results in acne. When cortisol enhances production of excess oil, the oil blocks the skin pores and causes breakouts in the form of acne. Essentially, stress creates an imbalance between the good bacteria and the harmful bacteria (microbiomes).
Microbiomes are involved in numerous processes including production of vitamins, protection against germs, and the release of energy through food processing. Stress alters the function of microbiomes by altering their mechanism of action thus causing the body to become susceptible to attacks by germs. Bad bacteria then flourish and aggravate acne. In such a situation, we’ve carefully selected products in our clinic that can help you eradicate the harmful bacteria affecting the face.
Stress Aggravates Skin Conditions
Stress can also agitate a person, and the expected outcome in most people is to rub the face or experience an uncanny itching. People with pre-existing skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema also experience heightened symptoms when stress levels are high. In this case, the agitation caused by stress makes you itch. Subsequently, the itching triggers production of anti-inflammatory hormones. In other words, as the stress levels elevate, so do the hormones. The excessive production of hormones further exacerbates itching, and this throws the skin condition into a vicious cycle. You should invest in topical treatments for psoriasis and eczema that will relieve such skin complications.
Poor Nutrition
If you are familiar with the term ‘stress eating,’ then you might be aware that many people turn to food when they encounter stress. The bad news is that most people look for comfort in junk food during stressful situations. Stress and skin issues are correlated and compounded by poor eating habits. Typically, a stressed person may have less time and energy to make healthy meals and may seek solace in junk food. Junk foods such as soda and potato chips have high levels of sugar and sodium, which can negatively impact the skin. Sodium dehydrates the skin and gives it a flaky appearance. Poor nutrition also contributes to the emergence of acne and other skin breakouts due to the high content of sugar and oil in junk food.
Solutions
The best way to ease skin and stress problems is to identify your stress triggers early enough with the aim of mitigating them when they happen. It is evident that stress has an adverse effect on skin and it is through such consequences that stress accelerates aging. This is the reason some people may look older than they really are.
Also, it is recommended to engage in physical activities to lower your stress levels and enhance your wellness. This way, you will actively combat stress and skin issues intrinsically as opposed to looking for temporary solutions to cover them up. At DermApproach we will provide you with products and approaches that can help you effectively deal with your specific skin and stress problems.
