Are your Skin Issues caused by Stress?

Chronic stress can cause many problems that affect your skin; wrinkles, acne, hair loss, and allergic reactions like hives and eczema.

What's happening
 Our body's stress hormone, cortisol, is responsible for high blood pressure, weight gain, increased collagen breakdown, to name a few. For skin to naturally repair itself, there need to be excess resources available to produce collagen and elastin. In a state of stress, these resources are diverted to protect other organs in the body from increased damage from excessive cortisol. 

Acne
We know that acne isn't just for teenagers; adult acne is rising because of increased stress. Cortisol increases oil gland activity making pimples more likely; it also slows how our skin can heal itself, causing pimples to linger longer. Stress also tends to kick off our need to pick to relieve tension, making things worse.

Allergies and Irritation
Our bodies release histamines in response to stress hormones to help white blood cells fight foreign invaders. The histamine trigger is left on almost like a leaky faucet in periods of prolonged stress. When histamine levels get out of control, we see inflammatory reactions like hives, allergies, and conditions like eczema and psoriasis. 

Tired, Puffy Eyes
A lack of restorative sleep and systemic inflammation slows the body's removal of waste. Stagnant fluids pool around the thin tissue of the delicate eye area at night instead of flushing through during sleep's repair cycle, leaving us with dark circles and puffiness. 

How to control stress
I know all of this seems overwhelming, but sleep, diet, and exercise are great ways to start controlling your stress levels. Taking a walk with a friend, enjoying a healthy homemade meal, or an extra early bedtime are effective ways to lower your cortisol and get some much-needed self-care. Support your skin with nourishing skincare and build a routine around self-care and wellness. If you need more help, talk to your doctor or therapist to help establish better coping skills to reduce stress.