Skin deep
If you counted the number of times you heard the word ‘stress’ over the past year, you’d likely be looking at a figure similar to that of your rising food bill. Now count how many times you’ve actually felt it. At work. At home. While watching the news. And, yes, on your skin.
Too much stress – particularly the chronic kind – can ravage your body and mind. And your skin is one of the first places you’ll see the effects. When you start to feel stressed, cortisol and adrenaline are released into your body. They communicate with your immune system and start a complex reaction that leaves your skin more sensitive and reactive. They impair your skin cell turnover and slow down the skin’s ability to repair itself, while cortisol also increases oil production, clogging your pores and trapping bacteria, leading to breakouts and exacerbating acne.
Stress also causes inflammation. When your body perceives a threat (such as an aggy email from your boss), it sends out chemical signals to the immune system that create an inflammatory response. This can trigger flare-ups of existing conditions, such as acne, eczema, rosacea and psoriasis, and can also speed up the process of skin ageing.
Of course, stress also affects the skin indirectly, via your lifestyle – from reaching for nutrient-sparse processed foods when you’re time-poor to pouring a large glass of wine or struggling to get enough quality sleep. The latter creates cellular stress, further increases inflammation and reduces skin’s elasticity and hydration.
As far as existing skin conditions go, studies show a link between chronic stress and the worsening of skin disorders. For example, a study of 144 medical students facing university exams showed a strong correlation between stress and acne*. The same links have been made between stress and eczema, rosacea and psoriasis
