With the challenges of recent years (a worldwide pandemic, financial stressors, and natural disasters like wildfires and floods), many people are feeling stressed. It’s no secret that stress can take a toll on our physical body and manifest symptoms like headaches or digestion issues, but you may not know that it can take a toll on your skin. Unfortunately, our skin, a miraculous organ, can reflect chronic and acute stress by exacerbating skin conditions like acne and eczema. Although it’s impossible to avoid all stressors in daily life, it’s critical to take steps to treat our skin like the precious commodity it is.
What is the connection between our skin and stress?
When physiological changes happen in our bodies, you may see new or existing skin conditions appear. That’s because when you feel stressed or anxious, the body releases a hormone called cortisol. The release of cortisol can cause an increase of oil production in your glands, leading to clogged pores and more breakouts. When you have chronic levels of stress or long periods of anxiety, these hormone levels can have trouble regulating and have a negative effect on your skin. Besides releasing cortisol, the body also reacts under stress and activates your immune system and inflammation response. Typically, inflammation helps the body and protects it, but under stress, the inflammatory response can manifest in your skin through acne, eczema, or other skin conditions. Many patients with auto-immune disorders have reported increases in skin problems when they are under stress. Some other skin conditions that can worsen with stress are:
- Hair loss
- Hair thinning
- Rosacea
- Scalp rash
- Hives
Additionally, there are other subconscious things that you may do when you are stressed that can affect your skin. For example, people touch their face as a nervous habit when they are stressed, which can lead to more dirt/oils on the surface of the skin. It is also likely that many of the good skincare habits you have (such as healthy eating and getting enough sleep) fall by the wayside under tremendous stress. All of these combined behaviors can impact the health of our skin.
How can I keep my skin healthy under stress?
Because we know that not all stress can be removed from our lives, it’s essential to create a plan for protecting our skin even when stressful situations are ongoing. Here are our best tips for prioritizing your skin, and reducing the effects of stress throughout your body:
Reduce any stress that you can: We recognize that some stressors such as work, toddlers, or a busy schedule, cannot simply be removed but many can be modified. If you are able to eliminate extraneous things from your schedule, it can give you more breathing room to cultivate healthy routines and periods of rest. Consider stepping back from volunteer roles, or setting clearer boundaries with responsibilities you have at your workplace. If you are someone who has trouble setting boundaries in your life, you may ask a friend to help hold you accountable and keep you from slipping back into old patterns.
Increase hydration and sleep: if your skin is showing signs of stress such as acne or redness, take a look at how much sleep and hydration you are getting. One easy way to increase your restful sleep is to put your phone away about an hour before bed and listen to meditative recordings or sleep sounds to fall asleep faster. In addition, relaxation has been shown to reduce stress and help increase deep sleep. Drinking water is also a great way to keep your skin from drying out and cracking, and the Mayo Clinic says 8 cups of water is a good and reasonable guideline for most people.
Use appropriate sun protection: If you are going to be out on the sun, it’s especially important to properly protect stressed-out skin. The top layer of the skin is resilient yet delicate, and can be easily damaged from a combination of environmental factors as well as the stress response. Studies show that just 90 minutes in direct sunlight can remove moisture from even the deeper layers in your skin. Look for a sunscreen that is at least 35 SPF, and apply it daily even if you are going to be inside. If you are going to be in the sun repeatedly and are experiencing dryness, aloe vera is a natural and easy way to restore natural hydration to the surface of the skin. Lastly, experts recommend steering clear of parabens and fragrances in the products that you are using.
Prioritize a skincare evaluation: If you are wondering about how to take care of your skin and what products are best, our experienced team at Renew Medical Spa can help guide your process. Our staff can help assess the skincare challenges you are facing, and how to best combat the effects of stress in your life. Lastly, we have a number of high-quality and medical-grade products available on our website for easy and simple shopping.
Stress seems inevitable as we all navigate these “unprecedented times,” but that doesn’t mean you can’t have glowing and healthy skin despite the challenges. By joining forces with our caring team, our patients are able to experience improved skin despite the environmental or physical things life may throw their way. Please get in touch with us today if you’d like to experience this support and help in your skincare journey.
Sources:
https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2021/01/stress-skin.php
