We have all experienced stress in some form or another, whether for a short or long period of time. This emotional tension stems from unavoidable parts of everyday life, including work, family problems, financial woes and the digital pressures of social media.
While the anxiety that arises may originally occur in your brain, the consequences can play out physically. And no, we don’t just mean tense shoulders and furrowed brows.
According to dermatologist Dr Anil Budh-Raja, daily stressors can also manifest in your skin, triggering or worsening a wide range of conditions such as acne, psoriasis, eczema and even hair thinning. “Stress causes a change in brain and body chemistry and has a significant impact on our skin,” Dr Budh-Raja explains, describing the process as the “brain-skin connection”.
To understand how stress and anxiety can affect the skin, Dr Budh-Raja says we must first understand a little about the endocrine system.
The endocrine system is comprised of a number of glands that produce hormones and, when everything is in place, it allows the human body to work like a well-oiled machine. However, when outside factors such as stress intervene, this intricate system can slip out of sync.
During moments of tension the body produces excess cortisol, often referred to as the “stress hormone”, which wreaks havoc on everything from your immune system to blood pressure. “Stress increases cortisol production from the adrenal glands, which in turn increases sebaceous gland activity, to produce more oil and sebum,” Dr Budh-Raja explains.
“The result can be acne and increased sensitivity of our skin. Cortisol also weakens the skin’s immune system, leading to oxidative stress which manifests itself as wrinkles, lines and lacklustre skin.
“It also increases inflammation on the body and conditions like eczema, rosacea and psoriasis can flare up.”
Dr Sarah Coles, a chartered clinical psychologist, agrees, adding that the onset and consequences of stress can often form a vicious cycle.
“Anxiety and/or stress, which can be caused by skin conditions such as eczema, in fact can exacerbate the condition due to the body’s inflammatory responses such as producing cortisol or interrupting sleep,” Coles says.
“Stress can also make us less likely to engage in healthy habits, for example, we might work longer hours, eat less well, or drink more caffeine and alcohol.”
When troubles are piling up, it can often feel like the worst time for pimples to populate your face, but they often do. While it can be frustrating, science says it makes perfect sense for stress to exhibit itself physically.
A 2015 study into the effects of stress as a causative or maintaining factor in psoriasis showed that about half of participants said their first experience with the disease came during a particularly difficult time in their lives, while 63 per cent said their symptoms worsened when they felt anxious or under pressure.
Similarly, a separate 2017 study of female medical students found that for 74 per cent of participants, anxiety and stress were exacerbating factors of their acne. Read more
Read also: 5 Must-Have Anti-Aging Antioxidants Your Skin Needs
