Five Signs of Stress In Your Skin

It’s relatively easy to spot people who are stressed just by looking at their skin. What many don’t know is that apart from the common eye bags, dry and darkened skin, there are a lot more signs that can tell you whether a person or even you is experiencing stress.

The following are five examples of stress manifesting on our skin.

Eye bags

Morning eye bags or puffiness is normal because your circulatory system moves more slowly when you are sleeping, leaving excess fluid beneath the eyes. But eye bags that persist throughout the day can be a sign that your body needs more sleep because a stressed body can prevent the circulatory system from flushing out this extra fluid completely.

Acne

When you are tense, your body releases stress hormones including cortisol, which may increase the skin's oil production. Excess oil can get trapped inside hair follicles, along with dirt and dead skin cells, producing acne and pimples.

Hives

Hives are red, swollen, itchy bumps on the skin. Some people get them as part of an allergic reaction to an insect sting, food, or medicine. Others notice hives popping up on their skin on a more regular basis.

This skin problem may also be caused by dysbiosis which refers to a microbial imbalance in your stomach. Dysbiosis is the direct effect of stress while hives are conditions that stem out from having it.

Hair problems

Stress can cause the melanin in your hair to stop producing, leaving it gray. It also causes your hair to stay longer on its resting phase (telogen) compared to its growing phase (anagen), resulting to an imbalance cycle which leads to more hair falling out.

Dryness

Stress increases the hormone cortisol, which damages skin's ability to hold on to water. It also reduces the lipid barrier on the skin, allowing fluids to evaporate which leads to dryness.

Stress can be caused by mental, physical or emotional challenges and a lot of skin problems can actually be attributed to mental stress. This is because the brain and skin are derived from the same cells, giving them some kind of connection.

In addition, a lot of nerve endings are connected to the skin which explains why we blush whenever we feel shy.  It’s the same case for stress. Its manifestation on our skin is our body’s way of letting us know that we need to start paying attention.

Countering stress effects on our skin can be done by having a healthier lifestyle and learning to manage stress. But for cases that require more advance solutions, professional skin care services are recommended.