Skin reacts to stress—here are the telltale signs

It became harder to disconnect from school or work in the new normal—and we’re definitely stressed.

Don’t get us wrong, stress is normal. It’s our natural reaction to pressure. But what happens if it becomes chronic? Its effects range from mental to physical. While it can mess with our sleeping and eating habits which can lead to anxiety, depression, or cardiovascular diseases, stress (and the way we cope with it) can also trigger skin problems.

“The more detrimental form of stress for the skin is the chronic kind of stress. The longer you endure stress, the more it takes a toll on your skin,” New York City-based dermatologist Dr. Whitney Browe told Huffpost.

It speeds up cellular aging

Stress can make skin prone to wrinkles and fine lines. Photo by Katelyn Greer on Unsplash

Our DNA strands have specialized protective caps on each end called telomeres. Longer telomeres mean we’re less prone to cellular aging. Though they naturally shorten over time, stress speeds up this process and causes our skin to age prematurely. To help fight off wrinkles and fine lines, you may use a facial cleanser that has anti-aging, pore-refining, or rejuvenating properties.

It slows skin’s healing process

The influx of hormones can cause cystic acne to form on your skin. Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

When we’re stressed, our body produces cortisol—a type of hormone that weakens our immune system and causes the skin to produce more oil. Besides clogging pores and causing breakouts, oil can also inflame and aggravate existing skin conditions like cystic acne. One way to address this is through glycolic micropeeling. This technique penetrates the skin deep enough to dissolve excess oil by using fruit acids and licorice which are ideal to get rid of acne, blackheads, and whiteheads.

It worsens dark under-eye circles

Cucumbers can be used topically on the eye area to reduce dark circles. Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

We have different ways to cope with stress. Some oversleep while others barely do. Either way, they both contribute to eyebags. Both oversleeping and sleep deprivation causes the blood vessels under our eyes to constrict, which further leads to hyperpigmentation or swelling. Get rid of them by using cucumber masks. The anti-inflammatory properties found in cucumbers may help reduce under-eye puffiness.

Originally published in Shopmag Online

Header photo courtesy of Chris Knight on Unsplash