Stress and Adult Acne

Stress makes acne worse.

Acne is often thought of as a teenage skincare issue that will clear when a person is out of that stage of their life. The truth, though, is that acne plagues many people into adulthood. Adult acne has various causes, but stress plays a major role in many adult acne situations. Adult acne should be treated properly.

Theories

Medical and skincare professionals have yet to agree on the topic of stress-related acne. Some say that stress is a definite cause of acne, while others believe that stress doesn't actually cause acne, but it can irritate it and cause skin that is already acne-prone to flare up. Whether either of these theories are true has yet to be proven, but one thing seems certain, stress and acne are related.

Stress and Acne

Those who believe that stress causes acne blame it on the chemicals produced while a person is stressed. Acne.com explains, "It's purely chemical. When you become tense, your adrenal glands go to work, flooding your bloodstream with the hormone cortisol. This triggers the sweat glands in your face to produce more oil. And there is a good chance this extra oil, produced at a turbocharged rate, will mix with dead skin and clog your pores, trapping bacteria inside. The result? Mainly inflamed papules [pimples] rather than blackheads or whiteheads."

Stress releases the hormone cortisol which stimulates the glands in the skin to produce excess oils which may then clog pores. Clogged pores often result in pimples and acne.

Managing Stress

Treating stress acne takes more than skincare. You also have to manage stress levels. Everyone manages stress differently. Do something that relaxes and calms you. Try taking a warm bath, drink some hot tea, listening to music, read a book or anything else that helps you relax. Always try to get a good night's sleep so you will be less irritated in stressful situations. Whenever possible, avoid arguments or stressful situations all together.

Managing Acne

Proper skincare is also important when treating stress acne. Cleanse and moisturize the skin daily. Use products that contain ingredients like sandalwood which will help heal acne and calm your nerves at the same time. Once or twice a week, add a relaxing mask into your skincare routine.

If your budget permits, get a facial from a professional at a day spa. Not only will the skincare specialists there be able to treat your acne, you will also be very relaxed.

Prevention

You can take many preventative measure to help keep stress acne away. Eat a healthy diet. Avoid greasy food and food with a lot of refined sugars. Stress-free-mama.com says, "Foods with refined sugars are high on the glycemic index; in others words, they trigger your body's insulin (blood sugar) level to quickly rise. A high insulin level puts your immune system on alert, triggering the inflammation response."

Also, maintain your daily skincare routine between acne flareups. Do not just start taking care of your skin when you see pimples starting to appear. It will be too late then.

Avoid stressful situations to the best of your ability. If you find yourself in one take a short break and calm down.

References

• Acne.com: Acne & Stress
• WebMD: Stress Makes Teen Acne Worse
• Stress-free-mama.com: Stress Acne
• Medical News Today: Stress Makes Acne Worse