Effects Of Stress On Skin: Prolonged stress can have adverse effects on our overall health and well-being. While some people effectively manage stress, others feel there’s always a reason to be stressed about. From work stress to daily household chores stress, education stress, or financial stress, it caters to how effectively one manages their stress levels daily. Unmanaged stress can not only impair one’s ability to carry out daily functions but also has adverse effects on skin health.

According to Harvard University, stress triggers the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a trio of glands that play key roles in the body’s response to stress. This can cause the production of local proinflammatory factors, such as cortisol and key hormones in the fight-or-flight stress response called catecholamines, which can direct immune cells from the bloodstream into the skin or stimulate pro-inflammatory skin cells. Here are some tell-tale signs of stress affecting your skin and you need to take care of it.

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1. Increases Inflammation

High levels of stress contribute to elevated secretion of cortisol, which affects the immune system of the body and causes inflammation. When you are stressed mentally, physically, or emotionally, the body goes into a ‘fight or flight’ mode. Skin inflammation can cause redness, heat, pain, or itching over the skin layers.

2. Interfere With Daily Skincare

According to WebMD, if you’re stressed, you might skimp on this part of your routine, which can aggravate skin issues. It can also be stressful to have problems with your skin. Some people feel so bad about how it looks that they keep to themselves, which adds more stress.

3. Clogged Pores

Clogged pores are one of the major skincare problems that are breakouts on skin layers. Beyond skin inflammation, stress can lead to major breakouts as increased cortisol levels elevate the production of oil by the skin glands.

4. Signs Of Ageing

One of the most common signs that stress is affecting your skin is aging. Your skin starts to age as fine lines, dark circles, and spots begin to appear on your skin layers. The heightened inflammation breaks the collagen and elasticity of the skin which results in signs of ageing.

5. Impairs Skin Barrier

Our skin is made up of layers, each of which performs important functions in protecting your body. Skin barriers are a part of the stratum corneum, which is the top layer of the skin. The skin barrier plays a crucial role in keeping the skin balanced, healthy, and hydrated. When an individual experiences high levels of stress, it makes the stratum weaker and weakens its ability to retain water for the skin and impairs its functioning.

 

(Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment.)