How Stress Impacts Your Skin: Understanding the Connection

Stress isn’t always harmful; in fact, it’s designed as an adaptive mechanism for our well-being. As far back as 1946, the renowned endocrinologist Hans Selye demonstrated through research that our body’s response to stressful stimuli follows a three-stage process he called the “general adaptation syndrome.”

1. Acne: Chronic Stress can contribute to the development and exacerbation of acne in several ways. Increased release of hormones like cortisol can lead to an increase in sebum (oil) production in the skin. Excess sebum can clog pores and contribute to acne. Also inflammation and delayed healing caused by chronic stress can worsen acne lesions. People under stress may engage in unhealthy habits like picking at their skin, which can worsen acne and lead to scarring.

To manage stress-related acne, it’s important to address the root cause by managing stress itself.

Relaxation techniques, exercise, a health diet, and proper skincare can all play a role in reducing stress and improving skin health. Identifying the specific causative organisms can assist in selecting the right acne products for your needs.

Eczema is a skin condition characterized by inflammation and irritation. Stress often triggers itchy rashes associated with eczema and worsens the itching, leading to scratching, potential skin damage, and infection.

Psoriasis, is a chronic autoimmune skin condition that causes a red, inflamed patches and plaques with thick, silvery scales on the skin. Stress is a common trigger for psoriasis flare-ups. Immune dysregulation provoked by chronic stress can potentially worsen psoriasis symptoms.

Managing stress is a crucial part of the treatments. To soothe the inflammation caused by eczema and psoriasis, it’s vital to restore and support a healthy skin barrier. Using a hypoallergenic, natural moisturizer can be highly beneficial, especially after a warm bath or shower.

Rosacea is another skin condition that primarily affects the face and is characterized by redness, flushing, visible blood vessels, and sometimes the development of papule and pustules. Managing rosacea-prone skin can be challenging.

Both rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis-prone skin tend to have compromised skin barriers and heightened inflammatory responses. Stress can make the skin more sensitive and reactive, and is a common trigger for flare-ups.

Educating yourself about how to create a skincare routine tailored to calm, treat, and protect rosacea-prone and seborrhea-prone facial skin can be incredibly beneficial.

Neurodermatitis involves unexplained itching in specific areas that can lead to thick, scaly patches due to repeated scratching. While the exact cause remains unknown, stress is recognized as one of the triggers for this condition.

To alleviate the itchiness of neurodermatitis, it’s essential to keep the affected area well- with hypoallergenic moisturizers.

Chronic stress leads to an overall reduction in blood flow as the body redirects blood to essential organs as a survival mechanism. When blood flow in the skin diminishes, the exchange of nutrients and waste products is also limited, resulting in skin appearing pale, sunken, or even darkened in some areas. Dark circles under the eyes are one of the most noticeable effects of reduced blood flow. Under-eye creams formulated to brighten the skin and target vascular congestion, can be beneficial in reducing under-eye circles, bags, and puffiness caused by stress-induced blood flow issues.

Acute stress rapidly stimulates sweat glands, with the intensity of stress directly affecting the degree of sweating. Stress sweat is notoriously challenging to conceal or mask with fragrances or other tricks, which can further add to your stress. Excessive sweating also makes the skin more susceptible to a red skin fold rash known as intertrigo.

The good news is that there are skincare steps, including maintaining good hygiene, and lifestyle changes you can implement to address intertrigo and reduce stress-induced body odor.