Can Stress Cause Acne?
Acne is caused by the confluence of many factors including heredity, hormones and lifestyle, but can stress cause acne? One of the most notable aspects of lifestyle that contribute to the development of acne is stress, which has both physiological and psychological components. It is the physiological component that appears to greatly influence acne since stress can cause hormonal imbalances – itself one of the major causes of the skin disorder that affects men and women of virtually all ages.
We have to emphasize that even the experts are divided on the issue of whether stress leads to acne or stress worsens the skin condition. But we do know that stress increases the amount of sebum produced and subsequently secreted by the skin, thus, resulting in clogged skin pores. By now, you must know that clogged skin pores are the best breeding grounds for the beginnings of acne to develop.
Can Stress Cause Acne
Research Asks – Can Stress Cause Acne
How Stress Affects Acne Formation
Researchers have also found that stress affects acne development in the most adverse way possible in two ways. First, stress stimulates the adrenal glands to produce hormones. To refresh your high school biology lessons, the adrenal glands secrete the hormones known as norepinephrine and epinephrine that, in turn, stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum.
Can Stress Cause Acne – Most Now Say Yes
We have come full circle, in a manner of speaking, to the preceding paragraph. The more oil produced by the body that can clog pores along with dirt and bacteria, the higher the chances for acne to take root like mushrooms on the skin.
But stress will not stop with just being the catalyst for acne development. It will also worsen the overall condition of the skin once the signs of acne are visible on the skin over the face and body. The adrenal glands enter the picture once again although, this time, it overproduces cortisol – a steroid known to stimulate sebum production. The cycle begins yet again between stress and acne.
Second, stress adversely impacts on acne because it slows down the healing process. Keep in mind that acne can be considered as an unhealthy break in the skin that must be healed to restore normalcy into the body’s largest organ. If you are continually suffering from stress, your acne will likely worsen.
How can stress cause acne? Scientific research has established that psychological stress can lessen the immune system’s ability to facilitate the healing of wounds by as much as 40 percent. When the effect of stress on sebum production is added to the weakened immune system, a double whammy against healthy skin occurs.
If you want proof of this close relationship between acne and stress, think back to your time in college when you suffered from acne breakouts like it’s no one’s business. As exam day neared, you noticed that your acne breakouts worsened while it improved when spring break approaches.
How to Keep Stress-Related Acne in Check
Fortunately, you have many ways to keep stress-related acne in check. This presupposes that your worsening acne breakout was caused by stress in the first place but you can still apply the following skin care tips for all cases of acne breakouts:
• Adopt stress management techniques like deep breathing, creative visualization, yoga exercises and perhaps meditation. You will find that just sitting still, being quiet and concentrating on your breathing can negate the symptoms of stress from the environment. And yes, do get your fair share of a good night’s sleep.
• Engage in regular exercise on a daily basis. You can walk instead of driving the car, climb the stairs instead of riding the elevator and take the bike for a grocery run. These are not necessarily exercises in the sense of lifting weights at the gym but are just as effective in stress management.
• Eat a healthy diet even when stressed. You will see significant changes in lessening acne when your diet is filled with fruits and vegetables instead of chips and soda under stress.
Indeed, acne must be approached with a multi-faceted mind. If stress is causing your acne, it is not only stress that must be addressed but the whole lifestyle as well. I hope we have answered the question – can stress cause acne?
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