Importance of Managing Stress for a Healthier Skin
Studies have shown that stress management may help lead to clearer skin. If you get a pimple form ahead of an important event, you may wonder whether the breakout was caused by stress. There seems to be a strong relationship between stress and inflammatory skin conditions including acne, psoriasis and rosacea. According to dermatologist George D. Granstein, MD, FAAD, from Cornell Medical College in New York, every person has some form of stress although it is difficult to tell whether it can affect the appearance of the skin.
Association between Stress and Skin Appearance
You’ve been following all clear skin tips, without getting any results. Have you ever wondered that stress might be a contributor to some skin conditions? Granstein says that it has been known for a long time that the nervous system, which processes stress, can cause skin problems such as acne breakouts and psoriasis.
Stress plays an important role in inflammatory skin conditions. According to Granstein, interruption of the nerves’ to an area of a patient’s skin improves psoriasis. The same happens if you inject a local anesthetic into psoriasis patches. He adds that these findings strongly suggest that nerves play an important role in how psoriasis operates.
Dr. Granstein says that animal studies have shown that stress can worsen an inflammatory skin condition. For instance, a Japanese study found out mice that were genetically prone to develop a rash when stressed while mice that were not stressed didn’t. Granstein notes that the experimental data support the idea that the nervous system and stress impact inflammatory skin conditions in humans.
Chemical Effects
Your skin hosts many types of cells including immune cells and endothelial cells, which can be regulated by neuropeptides and neurotransmitters, chemicals released by skin’s nerve endings. When you are stressed, there is an increase in the levels of these chemicals. This affects your body response to various functions such as sensation and control of blood flow.
This can contribute to the symptoms you feel when you are stressed. Additionally, the release of these chemicals triggers inflammation of the skin. Hence, bear in mind that managing your stress can be one of the smartest clear skin tips you could ever have.
Preventing Some Skin Disorders
According to Dr. Graistein, they are likely to have new ways that can fight and prevent some skin disorders if they are able to block specific steps in certain pathways between the nervous system and the skin without affecting the whole body. He also notes that they are getting a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in many skin conditions, which will help them to come up with new therapies.
Although there is no scientific evidence, health experts believe that stress causes premature aging of the skin. Grainstein says that stress along with exposure to harmful rays of the sun can impact the development of skin cancer. A research conducted on mice that when exposed to ultraviolet radiation, stressed mice developed skin cancers faster than the mice that were not exposed.
Granstein insists that more studies need to be conducted to further understand the role played by nerves and stress on inflammatory skin conditions, other than factors like genetics. He urges patients with inflammatory skin conditions to tell their dermatologist whether they believe stress is impacting their condition.
Urging them to continue with their treatment plans as prescribed by their dermatologist, Grainstein advises patients to try various stress reduction techniques, such as meditation, yoga, and Tai Chi as a part of their mindfulness for healthy skin habits.
Telling Whether Stress Affect Your Skin
If you have a skin condition you think it is caused by stress, you should keep a track of when it strikes. For instance, if you suffer from acne, note down when you had your previous attack. Find out if it was ahead of a major event like a wedding, high school reunion or a big test in school.
If you find a pattern between any of these stressful events and acne breakouts, you are more likely susceptible to stress-induced acne. If you’ve been taking vitamins for healthy skin, they need to be aided with stress management techniques.
Managing Stress
Skin problems caused by stress can be easily controlled with the help of a personalized regimen and stress management. While planning a mindfulness for healthy skin regimen, select one that suits your skin type and follow it closely. This will help maintain your skin condition whenever you become stressed.
On top of all, manage your stress using various techniques such as yoga, meditation, or Tai Chi. Try your best to remain calm and relaxed whenever under much pressure. Speak to a counselor, partner, or pastor and share your concerns with them.
Conclusion
To sum up, popping up those vitamins for healthy skin would no doubt be helpful, but do not rule out the stress factor completely. There seems to be a strong link between stress and inflammatory skin conditions. The nervous system and chemicals produced at the nerve endings seem to work hand in hand in causing skin conditions.
While more research is still required, stress management can avert some of these conditions. Luckily, there are various techniques for dealing with stress. Practicing them can help control the severity of skin problems. While stress is unavoidable in some instances, being prepared all the time is important in coping. Don’t let stress steal away your beauty. Be strong and fight back hard whenever it strikes.
