Stress and skin: How it affects & Tips

Stress is a normal human emotion and each of us can experience it at some point in our lives. It is considered by many to be exclusively a mental state, but this is not true – stress can affect the whole body, including the health of our hair, skin and nails.

The connection of brain and skin

Changes in our psychological state, such as stress, depression and anxiety, can cause the development of new skin problems or the appearance of existing skin problems.

When you feel anxious, the sympathetic nervous system releases stress-related stimuli such as cortisol and adrenaline. Cortisol increases sebum secretion, which can clog pores and lead to flares. In addition, chronic stress leads to inflammation. Inflammation not only prevents acne from healing, but can lead to flare-ups of skin conditions such as rosacea, eczema or psoriasis. [1]

In addition, psychological conditions cause increased internal inflammation. When your body perceives a threat, the immune system sends a response to deal with it – this response is inflammation. Inflammation usually helps protect and heal our body from germs and wounds, but a stressed body causes the immune system to overreact, leading to an inflammatory response. [2]

Stress can also cause inflammation through the bowel-skin connection. Stress affects the balance of bacteria in the gut, which leads to the release of inflammation. Internal inflammation can also manifest externally as skin conditions such as acne or eczema and exacerbation of psoriasis. Note that people with chronic inflammatory skin conditions are more prone to flares when they are stressed. [2]

How does stress affect the skin?

There are many ways in which our skin is stressed:

• A larger amount of sebum is secreted resulting in pimples.
• The skin is an ally of the immune system and is a natural barrier to invaders. Because the immune system is affected by this stress it has the effect of making the skin more reactive and sensitive.
• Stress promotes flare-ups, especially in people with psoriasis or rosacea.
• It causes nervousness-anxiety and it is a common phenomenon to lead us to pressing the pimples, a habit that infects the skin.
• Changing daily skin care, people who feel stressed are missing important steps in their skin routine or are not following a skincare routine.

10 ways to reduce the effects of stress on the skin

Some simple daily habits can make the difference. Indicatively, we can follow the following techniques:

1. Regular skincare, morning and night, even if you feel tired or stressed.
2. Frequent exercise is recommended by experts as a treatment against chronic stress and depression. [4]
3. Find activities that you really enjoy. Even if your schedule is full, you can dedicate 10 minutes to yourself.
4. Organize your daily routine and set a small goal each day. It is very important to think about the present and the present day.
5. Practice stress management techniques such as breathing exercises, meditation or yoga.
6. Get proper sleep, 8 hours a day will help you cope with a demanding daily routine.
7. Say No more often when you feel it.
8. Talk to a loved one.
9. If you feel that there is no solution to issues that concern you, consult a specialist.
10. Follow a healthy and balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Processed and sugary foods cause more inflammation in the body.

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