Five signs your skin is ageing through stress

As we enter our fifties and beyond, it’s the most normal thing in the world for our faces (and the rest of us!) to start to show our years. But there are times in life when, suddenly, those signs of ageing can seem to accelerate, and we go from still feeling pretty happy when we look in the mirror, to feeling a little concerned. It might be particularly dry or red patches appearing, wrinkles gathering apace, or our once-firm jawline starting to sag. So what is causing this acceleration of symptoms, and what can we do about it? Stress could be a key culprit, explains Dr Naomi Newman-Beinart, a medical nutritionist.

‘When we are under pressure, our body releases stress hormones, such as cortisol,’ she says. ‘This is a normal reaction, and an important part of a healthy stress response to danger. But, if you produce too much cortisol over a period of time, you might find that you start to see physical signs of this, such as thin or fragile skin, wrinkles, and even the exacerbation of any skin conditions you already struggle with.’

So, how does this happen? Well, cortisol has been shown to break down collagen and elastin in your skin, leading to thin skin and the appearance of wrinkles. Of course, wrinkles are a natural sign of ageing and will slowly develop as we get older. ‘However, chronic stress can accelerate the formation of wrinkles, meaning that you might feel that you are ageing more quickly than expected,’ explains Dr Newman-Beinart. ‘This can especially be the case in women post-menopause, as they are producing less oestrogen, which is necessary for the production of collagen. So, as oestrogen levels drop, so do your collagen levels. This can be a double whammy that no woman wants to deal with.’ Here are five signs to look out for in stressed-out skin, and the ways you can remedy them…

1 Saggy skin

When we are stressed, our body goes into fight-or-flight mode. That means, instead of functioning normally, more blood is directed to where it is ‘needed’, such as to the brain and lungs (to help us ‘escape’ whatever threat we’re facing), instead of to the skin. And this lack of blood flow impacts your skin’s collagen production, a situation made even worse if you’re in your fifties or older, when collagen naturally declines due to hormonal changes. This can mean skin is more ‘saggy’ than usual. ‘There has been masses of research investigating the benefits