It is important to pay attention to the impact of stress on your skin. This is a particularly stressful time, which can result in a substantial amount of disruption to your health. This also applies to the condition of your skin. When you become extremely stressed, it is highly likely that you will see the impact of your stress on your skin.
The Impact of Stress on your Skin
Stress doesn’t necessarily cause the problems with the health of your skin, but it can certainly exacerbate them. The body releases various hormones as a result of high levels of stress. These issues can both cause acne and other problems to arise, as well as exacerbate various other skin conditions. When you understand the impact of stress on your skin, you will be able to take the various steps to keep your skin in good condition, even through particularly stressful times in your life.
Inflammation
Ultimately, the issues that stress causes with your skin are a result of the reaction of the body to a perceived threat to your health. This is often the same thing that happens with allergies, because they are a result of the body’s reaction to a foreign substance. Stress causes the body to have a disproportionate reaction, which causes it to release various chemicals. This results in inflammation to the skin, which can lead to the development of pimples and other problems.
Cortisol
Cortisol is just one of the hormones that is commonly released as a reaction to stress. This hormone in particular causes the skin to overproduce oil. The overproduction of oil on the skin often results in clogged pores and the development of acne. When you experience an increase in cortisol production, it is highly likely that you will need to take steps to remove oil from your skin and prevent your pores from becoming clogged.
Predisposed Skin Conditions
There are many various skin conditions that can be triggered by stress. If you are predisposed to some common skin conditions, such as psoriasis, rosacea, or eczema, stress can have a particularly large impact on your skin. High levels of stress can trigger outbreaks of these conditions, which can cause you to become even more stressed. These outbreaks can be painful and embarrassing. Managing triggers is often the best method to avoid outbreaks, which is one of the reasons that it is critical to take the steps to control your levels of stress.
Stress-Related Behaviors
It is important to keep in mind that some of the reasons that stress leads to skin issues have nothing to do with the body’s physical reaction to stress. Individuals that are extremely stressed often engage in behaviors that cause their skin to be less than pristine. Stressed individuals often don’t spend as much time with taking care of their skin, such as skipping their skincare routine or not washing their face. They may also not drink enough water, get enough sleep, or eat particularly healthily. When an individual is stressed out, they are likely to touch their face more frequently. This allows for oils to transfer from the fingertips to the surface of the skin, which can cause the pores to become clogged. Clogged pores frequently result in acne.
Bags Under Eyes
High levels of stress and anxiety often result in an individual having difficulties sleeping. A common result of sleep deprivation is the development of bags under the eyes. When you ensure that you get enough sleep, you can help to prevent these bags from arising. Sleep deprivation can lead to a significant amount of issues with your overall health, in addition to the damage that it can do to your skin. Most experts recommend that you get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night in order to obtain optimal health. Getting enough sleep can prevent bags and dark shadows from forming underneath your eyes.
Slow Healing
Skin injuries tend to heal much more slowly when an individual is stressed. Stress causes a unique reaction in the body that puts a large burden on your immune system. When your immune system is diverted to handle your high levels of stress, it will be unable to handle the process of quickly healing an injury. Slow healing tends to be just one of the issues that are associated with stress. This can also cause other issues to the health of the skin to be resolved more slowly. Acne may linger for longer periods of time and it can take longer for cuts to heal.
Tips for Dealing with Stress
There are many possible methods for handling stress. Due to the impact that stress can have on your skin, it is particularly important to ensure that you follow these methods for minimizing your total levels of stress. Meditation is a popular method for handling strong emotions and minimizing your stress. Exercise can help to relieve stress levels and release positive hormones. Yoga is a great method for combining exercise a positive mindset to help you handle your stress. Deep breathing can also help you to get a better hold of your stress levels. It is also important to carefully consider your schedule and not take on more than you can handle. This goes a long way toward preventing your stress levels from becoming unmanageable in the first place.
It is crucial to understand the impact of stress on your skin so that you can take the steps to protect your skin through difficult times. Ensure that you maintain your regular skincare routine, even if you are feeling stressed and short on time. This can help to prevent skin-related issues from arising, as well as reduces many other problems. At Allen-Taintor Dermatology, we are dedicated to providing you with the services necessary to protect the health of your skin. Our services can be implemented to help minimize the likelihood of stress damaging your skin. To learn more about how our services can improve the health of your skin, contact our expert team at Allen-Taintor Dermatology today!