Written by: Ansley Phan
Did you know that chronic stress can lead to skin problems? With the uncertainties of modern life, it is no surprise that the majority of the American population faces chronic stress. What is even less of a surprise are the impacts of stress on our skin. There are three main impacts of stress on the skin: acne, rashes, and aging.
To understand the effects of stress, it is important to understand what stress is. Stress is the body's response to pressure. That can include mental, emotional, or physical pressure and responses. A stress hormone, cortisol, is released after the adrenocorticotropic hormone travels to the adrenal glands, which are located in the kidneys. Cortisol and other stress hormones tell parts of our bodies to go into overdrive, including the skin’s sebaceous (oil) glands. The sebaceous glands of our skin produce a substance called sebum. Sebum is a key ingredient in skin health for its “photoprotection, antimicrobial activity, delivery of fat-soluble antioxidants to the skin surface and pro-and anti-inflammatory effects exerted by specific lipids,” according to ncbi.gov. In simpler terms, sebum helps the skin stay healthy. However, when overproduced, sebum can cause breakouts and acne. There are many causes of acne, and no acne is the same; however, stress is one of the common sources.
Many skin rashes are aggravated by stress. These rashes include but are not limited to, rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis. These rashes are aggravated because excessive stress hormones can impair the skin’s moisture barrier, leading to transepidermal water loss. Transepidermal water loss, in simple terms, is dehydration of the skin. Rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis all cause an impaired skin barrier. These rashes can be improved by an increase in skin moisture, typically by layering an occlusive moisturizer on top of damp skin. In addition to this, cortisol delays immune response because of, again, the overdrive that the body goes into. A delayed immune response means longer periods of healing for these rashes.
Lastly, stress can cause premature skin aging. This is because cortisol damages collagen repair. Collagen is the reason for skin elasticity. It is made of a strand of amino acids, which act as a structure that holds everything up. It is damaged by the pro-inflammatory molecules caused by stress. Mast cells in the skin produce stress hormones and inflammatory molecules, which lead to the degradation of collagen.
While the detriments of stress on our skin are frightening, there are many treatment options and lifestyle changes to reduce stress and its negative effects, including exercise, steroid creams, and more. With our lives getting more stressful, these treatments are crucial to incorporate to prevent acne, rashes, and premature skin aging
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Citations:
“Is Stress Impacting Your Skin?” Dermatology Group, https://www.thedermgrouppartners.com/blo
Dray, Andrea. “TOP 5 WAYS STRESS DESTROYS SKIN| Dr. Dray.” youtube.com, Dr. Dray, 15 July 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOXtCKqplMI. Accessed 14 January 2022.
g/is-stress-impacting-your-skin. Accessed 13 January 2022.
Seng, Fong. “Study of psychological stress, sebum production and acne vulgaris in adolescents.” PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17340019/. Accessed 13 January 2022.
“Understanding the stress response.” Harvard Health, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response. Accessed 13 January 2022.
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