acne and stress

Source: http://octoviana.blogspot.com/2009/07/simple-tips-to-reduce-your-acne.html

Acne is an inflammatory skin disorder of the skin’s sebaceous glands and hair follicles that affects about 80% of people between the ages of 12 and 24. .  Acne is not a medically dangerous condition but it is definitely a psychologically damaging one. Acne can be stressful, but is there a correlation between stress and acne formation?

Yes, Clinical studies have also shown a connection between Acne and Stress. Stress can be a cause for acne. Stress is defined as mental or physical tension that results from physical, emotional, or chemical causes. Stress may aggravate acne in two ways: one is by stress triggering the adrenal glands to produce more hormones; the other is by stress slowing down the body’s natural healing process. Furthermore, stress can not only aggravate acne, but also may notably affect the overall health condition of the skin.

Stress does play a role in the condition of acne prone skin.  Stress is on of the biggest precursors of acne, especially beyond puberty. Some people, especially students, have claimed that their acne grows worse when experiencing stressful situations. When you become stressed at your job, are you more likely to suffer skin outbreaks. Acne breakouts can be stressful, which ironically can make breakouts worse.

When you’re stressed out, your body produces cortisol, a stress hormone that stimulates your sebaceous glands and causes extra oil to form. Controlling stress can reduce the release of the stress hormone cortisol, and therefore reduce the severity of the acne.

Finally, acne is a psycho physiologic condition as its physical pathology can probably be exacerbated by psychological stress. If nothing else, managing your stress levels is good for your body and mind, and that’s bound to make you feel better.