How Does Stress Affect Your Skin?

A new job, a big breakup, starting school in a new city-we all know how exhausted we can feel when we're under a lot of pressure. Stress not only takes its toll on your emotions, it can affect your skin as well.

To understand why stress plays such a big role in your skin's health, it helps to understand your body's natural defense mechanisms for handling stress. When you are placed in a tense, fearful, or threatening situation, your adrenal glands release cortisol, a hormone that helps prepare for danger by triggering changes in your body's digestive, nervous, and immune systems.

One of cortisol's effects is an increase in sebum, a natural oil produced by the skin. Sebum that remains trapped in your skin's pores may cause acne to develop or worsen.

During times of stress, cortisol slows down your immune system to allow your body to redirect energy to muscles and mental functions. Constant stress, however, keeps your immune system suppressed, making your skin more susceptible to infections. A suppressed immune system may also lead to flare-ups of chronic conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. In fact, studies show that controlling stress, nervousness, and anxiety may help prevent flares of eczema.

Chronic stress can interrupt sleep patterns, and getting a good night's sleep is important for keeping you and your skin healthy. Stress, anxiety, and depression may also prevent you from paying attention to other healthy habits such as diet, exercise, and proper skincare routines.

Recognizing the "mind-body-skin" connection, some psychology professionals are specializing in an area called "psychodermatology." Psychodermatologists may ask their patients to discuss events and feelings associated with specific outbreaks in an effort to identify stress and emotional factors at the source of their patients' skin problems. Patients use techniques such as guided relaxation, imaging, and hypnosis to help treat skin disorders caused or worsened by stress.

No local psychodermatologist in your town? Don't panic! Positive changes to your lifestyle-even small changes-go a long way towards helping to prevent or reduce skin and complexion problems. For example, meditation, yoga, and physical exercise are just a few ways to reduce stress. And, a positive attitude does more than keep you emotionally healthy. Scientists believe that improving self-esteem, reducing anxiety levels, and avoiding stressful situations may actually boost your body's ability to resist disease.

It's important to remember that stress is indeed a health issue. If you feel that stress, anxiety, or depression is overwhelming your life, talk to your doctor. He or she can suggest ways to treat your physical symptoms while you work together to improve your emotional health.

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