At one point or another, you must have heard the saying that beauty starts from within. External tissues can be a way to identify signs of battles that go on inside your body. What this means is that your face and skin reflects stress levels in unique ways.
While sheet masks, bottled serums, and other beauty products possess a certain level of soothing and aesthetic allure, a serious skincare routine will not be potent enough to provide cure for the battles and imbalance of hormones going on inside your body.
One fact about stress is that it makes your skin fight harder. The increased jump in cortisol levels can mess up the messages that your nerves would normally send,, and this can cause anything from fine lines to an outbreak of hives.
These valid links between stress and skin can be traced back to the olden day’s, but formal studies that reveal the deeper connection can only be linked back to the last two decades.
This is not to negate the fact that your skincare products or your diet can affect your skin. But, it is also vital to consider stress as a potential cause of skin concerns. You should begin to point fingers at stress especially if a rash appears from nowhere, or it persists longer even after you have tested for everything else.
In this article, we have outlined eight ways in which hormonal, physical, and mental stress can change your skin but more importantly, we have also added tips on what you can do about it.
1. Sun stress and exhausted skin defenses
Before you take a look into the activities that go on inside your body there is one external factor that can physically stress out your skin and also weaken its defenses: it is nothing else but ultraviolet radiations. UV is a casino jinn via sun exposure, and it can have negative effects on the skin.
Whether you are using an artificial means such as tanning beds or you are exposed to natural sunlight absorbing ultraviolet rays into your skin can signal blood cells to rush up to the exposed areas attempting to repair it.
The above results into sunburns but not only that overexposure to ultraviolet radiation may cause darkened blemishes skin cancer and even moles.
The easiest way to combat sun stress and UV rays is by applying sunscreen on your body every morning. Search for brands that have compatible oil-free versions that will make the mundanity of a daily routine less so. sunscreens are not only easy to carry around they are also very easy to use, and you are less likely to forget to apply it daily.
It is also not a bad idea to layer on natural oils that have some sun protection qualities. According to a some study peppermint, olive oil coconut lemongrass, and Tulsi have the highest SPF value.
Well, the source cannot be a replacement for sunscreen they can also be a great boost for people who find it difficult to get some screens that do not leave a white cast.
On top of creams and oils, it is also possible for you to fight sun damage from the inside out. studies have been able to link certain nutrients to the ability to boost the natural sun protection of your skin.
if you have ever heard of limonene which is a chemical derived from the skin of citrus fruits like oranges and was also studied for use in cancer prevention medicine, then you just might have found a solution to sun problems. eating those fruits that contain limonene in particular citrus peels just might provide sun protection too.
2. Inflammation and extra irritated skin
Psoriasis, hives, dermatitis, rosacea, eczema… these are mostly as a result of inflammation however studies also show that when the human brain is on an override, it can actually lead to a compromise of your skin protective abilities.
This means that stress makes it difficult for your skin to regulate and maintain balance. It is no wonder you may suffer an extra break out during a week of sleeplessness or after you have an intense argument.
Inflammation can also be responsible for acne but do not forget some skin conditions like rosacea can resemble acne as well. It is vital to identify the difference before beginning treatment for the conditions you also need to know whether or not the irritation you have suffered is as a result of an allergy, a bad product, or stress.
If you must fight stress inflammations, you have to begin by eliminating the cause. finding out what the exact reason behind the stress it may be difficult or even impossible however there are ways to tame the fires with therapy, exercise, or even food.
3. Increased oil production and acne
Whether it is a spontaneous heartbreak or the impending dread of your final week in school, we are all likely to suffer in the hands of stubborn pimples one time or another.
It is not shocking that science has discovered that such kinds of stress are highly associated with acne especially in females, and stress is capable of mixing up your skin’s nerve signals which will cause imbalanced hormones as well as chemicals that increase the production of oil.
Thankfully, most acne reacts to topical treatments as well.
The secret ingredient in most of our favorite anti-acne products is none other but a beta-hydroxy-acid cold salicylic acid. This chemical is oil soluble and can penetrate pores very well for unclogging and cleaning. But that does not mean that it does not have its cons. Using too much or too strong salicylic acid can cause your skin to dry out and even irritate your skin in the process.
So putting the careful application in mind, using this treatment on a nightly basis is a godsent solution for targeting stubborn areas without harming your skin in the surrounding areas.
4. Hair loss waxy scalp and peeling nails
It is true that there is no single way to experience stress. Have you ever unconsciously beaten your fingernails, pulled your hair, or even did both? That could be a fight or flight response that was triggered by stress hormones called cortisol.
Before you assume that stress is the culprit, you might want to run a check with a dermatologist or doctor to rule out other causes. Take the case of scaly or waxes skin, for example; it could be as a result of eczema. Or in the case of peeling nails or hair loss, it could be a nutrient deficiency or insufficient nutrition as a result of skipping meals.
In the time being stay away from extremely hot showers to prevent damaging your skin and scalp any further. Also, engage in more exercise and feed on a balanced diet of plenty of fruits and vegetables.
5. Thinner, more sensitive skin
In a case of abnormally high cortisol levels, the skin may become thinner. Cortisol causes the breakdown of dermal proteins which can make the skin appear almost paper thing as well as tearing and bruising very easily.
Nevertheless, this symptom is most noticeably linked with Cushing’s syndrome. Hypercortisolism is a hormonal disease, and it includes additional symptoms like glucose intolerance a weakened immune system as well as muscle weakness.
If you think that you are dealing with Cushing’s syndrome make sure to have an appointment with your health care provider in a lot of cases medications work just great to help manage cortisol levels.
6. Delayed natural wound healing
In the presence of severe stress, your epidermis can become weekend quickly, and that increases your risk of environmental pathogens and infection. This also slows down your skin’s natural ability to heal acne scars and wounds.
To fix your skin barrier, you can opt for products that contain hyaluronic acid and glycerine. Serums that contain hyaluronic acid glycerine and snail secretion can work to help retain your skin’s natural moisture while it also balances out any visible scarring.
The same techniques and remedies that you would use in combating sun exposure can also be used here consume foods that are rich in antioxidants as they can help strengthen internal healing.
And in addition to keeping your skin internally hydrated through consuming enough water, you should also focus on using products based on zinc, flaxseed oil, and sal. These ingredients have been discovered to help keep your skin moisturized and also provide it with enough healing punch for fixing wounds naturally.
7. Orbital skin and exhausted eyes
If you have ever been the subject of any discussion that revolves around dark circles around your eyes, then you know just how annoying it can be. Well dark circles around the eyes are just one of the ways that sleep deprivation reveals itself physically. And stress can do that to you as well.
When your body’s fight or flight mode is activated adrenaline keeps running on a constant cycle, and that includes those valuable hours and nights when you need to rest.
For dealing with sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea melatonin pills and CBD oil may just be the remedy you been looking for.
8. Fine lines and wrinkles
Well, some people have decided to wear their hearts on their sleeves some others have no alternative but to wear them all over their face. From the frown that overpowers facial muscles, to the furrow of a brow, psychological stress always has a way of living permanent evidence of your emotions for the rest of the world to see.
From an 11 in the mid-brow, to smile lines, and eye creases, all of them show up on your face after repeated facial movements. To fix such problems, you can opt for face yoga because they are arguably safer and better than botox.
Solution: stop the stress cycle
understand the stress doesn’t manifest the same way in every human however every person ultimately experiences stress to some extent. instead of comparing and gauging your stress level with that of other people decides to care for yourself instead.
It is true that it is almost impossible for us to control the married ways in which stress shows up on our exterior especially when we are not expecting, what we have power over is how we respond and manage stress.
Understanding how stress impacts your skin is one step in the right direction when it comes to treating it. If stress gives you acne flare-ups or fine lines then you know where to begin from.
Remember that caring for yourselves and also for your skin is one of the many different ways you can gradually reclaim control over how stress affects you. We look forward to hearing your techniques on stress management and how you have been able to maintain a clean, clear skin despite how hectic your daily routine might be.
