How does stress affect our skin?

With the fast pace of life, many obligations, constant time pressure, and not enough time to rest, it is only logical that a person is stressed, or even one step away from burnout.

We described in the blog common skin diseases caused by stress and how to reduce stress or at least be aware of its existence.

What is stress anyway?

It mostly refers to a kind of tension that occurs in response to internal or external factors that disrupt our body's balance. It is the body's response to a certain situation that we consider could be unpleasant, dangerous ... A stress response requires a stressor, that is, that "something" (a thought, a situation we find ourselves in, an event, an obligation) that triggers a stress response in our body.

Another definition is: Description of the physiopathological phenomena that follow disturbances in homeostasis involving the autonomic nervous system . They also defined the phases through which an individual goes in response to a stressful event: the alarm or shock phase, the resistance phase, and the exhaustion phase.

Stress is not necessarily bad , as we know positive (eustress) and negative (distress) stress, but when we talk about stress, we have in mind negative stress. Eustress motivates us and gives us the impetus to continue our activities and life. When we experience this form of stress, we are excited, optimistic and driven.

Who causes a stress reaction?

Hormones! We call them stress hormones: cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline, which are produced and released by the adrenal gland.

Below we will describe individual skin changes that can be caused by stress . Stress not only affects the skin, but also our mood, digestion, heart, stomach, pancreas and sexual organs. Some of the consequences of stress are high cholesterol and blood pressure, reduced fertility, bloating, chronic lack of energy, depression, panic attacks, etc.

Psoriasis

It is a chronic, immune-mediated disorder that primarily affects the skin and joints. It is present in 2-3% of the population , and most often occurs between the ages of 35 and 45. There are several forms or phenotypes of psoriasis, and the symptoms common to all phenotypes are: itching, burning and also pain. There are periods of improvement and later flare-ups. You can read more about psoriasis here: https://skinfairytale.si/shop/2020/04/07/luskavica-2/

How are stress and psoriasis related?

According to research, From 30 to 88% of individuals report that stress is a trigger for their psoriasis .

Stress is also thought to affect the permeability of the epidermis, slowing down the healing process. According to some studies, stress also inhibits the production of epidermal lipids and causes an increase in keratinocytes. Stress is most often associated with financial problems, a death in the family, or sexual problems, but there are other reasons . However, it has not been proven that stress is related to the severity of psoriasis, only that it is the most common reason for its appearance.

Psoriasis negatively affects the quality of life , people with psoriasis are no longer as confident, sometimes they are not accepted by society, this can leads to depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, feelings of anger, shame, etc. It is true that stress is the primary cause of psoriasis, but once we have psoriasis and deal with it on a daily basis, this subsequently leads to chronic stress and we are in a vicious cycle all the time.

How to improve the situation?

It has been proven that if an individual's psychological disorders are treated in parallel with dermatological ones, there is a better response to dermatological treatment. Anxiolytics can be used, but there are also over-the-counter methods such as relaxation, meditation, hypnosis, psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapies, while most often mental relaxation is combined with UVB phototherapy.

Some medications used for systemic treatment of psoriasis: methotrexate, acitretin, biologic therapy, cyclosporine, apremilast, and others. But if you want to take a natural approach , you can use our RenewCream or AtopicBalm for care and soothing itching, and for cleaning you can use Oil Shower Gel or Shower Gel , for scalp psoriasis, you can use Shampoo .

Dermatitis

Another very common skin disorder caused by stress, especially in adulthood, is Atopic dermatitis . It is a chronic inflammatory skin condition caused by several factors and is accompanied by itching and eczema. It occurs mainly in infants, but in some people it also occurs in adulthood.

Similar to psoriasis, stress is the cause of the disorder, and later the disorder itself causes chronic stress. We have already written a lot about the skin change itself, and you can read more about it here:

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How does stress affect atopic dermatitis?

Interestingly, short-term stress can actually benefit the inflammation that is almost always present in atopic dermatitis. However, chronic exposure is detrimental to the skin barrier function and increases inflammation. Higher cortisol levels also slow wound healing, making it more difficult for individuals with atopic dermatitis to heal.

Acne

Acne is a chronic inflammatory condition that occurs within the pilosebaceous unit, involving the hair, hair follicles, and sebaceous glands. It can be non-inflammatory, which is divided into open and closed comedones, or inflammatory lesions such as papules, pustules, and other inflammatory forms. Acne is caused by the blockage of hair follicles with dead cells. Acne is mostly associated with the bacteria Cutibacterium acnes, which is mainly responsible for inflammation through the secretion of enzymatic products.

Acne is present during puberty also in 90% of individuals, and in adulthood it is somewhere up to 40% .

Chronic stress can cause acne breakouts. Why and how?

Stress increases the level of the stress hormone cortisol, which affects the sebaceous glands in such a way that they They produce excessive amounts of sebum , which mixes with dead skin cells and bacteria, making this combination ideal for acne breakouts. As stressed skin heals more slowly and loses its ability to protect itself, the skin barrier becomes more susceptible to the negative impact of environmental factors.

How to alleviate outbreaks?

If stress is the main reason, it is wisest to limit stress. In addition to the stress management options listed above, you can also try aromatherapy, exercise, or taking a walk with a friend.

Reducing caffeine and sugar can also help manage acne breakouts. At the same time, an adapted morning and evening routine is essential, as the skin needs to be cleansed and helped to return to its normal state. It is also necessary to avoid certain substances in products that could potentially be comedogenic.

Alopecia areata

It is a permanent hair loss related to the immune system. Hair grows in three phases; the anagen phase or growth phase, the catagen phase or transition phase and the telogen phase or resting phase. Inflammation causes the premature termination of the growth phase and the transition to the transition phase or even the transition from the growth phase directly to the resting phase. This does not happen on its own, but factors such as stress, genetics or immunological factors are responsible for this.

Approximately 2% of the population has alopecia areata , it can occur at any time, and is often associated with other autoimmune conditions such as: vitiligo It is hair loss in round or oval shapes.

On the other hand, people who are chronically exposed to stress have increased levels of stress hormones , resulting in narrowing of blood vessels, which leads to reduced blood circulation to the scalp and hair follicles, The result is hair loss .

What is the connection between alopecia areata and stress?

According to some reports, stress is the cause of more than 65% of alopecia cases. While stress affects the immune system, autoimmune diseases can be a cause of further stress. People who are chronically stressed have elevated levels of stress hormones, which in turn causes blood vessels to constrict, which in turn leads to reduced blood flow to the scalp and hair follicles, resulting in hair loss.

If we interrupt chronic exposure to stress, we can in some cases, the hair grows back . Otherwise, there is a possibility of treatment. Unfortunately, there is no universal practice that would help everyone, but there are guidelines for local immunotherapy, including systemic treatment with corticosteroids and others. All drugs are intended to eliminate inflammation and prevent hair loss. Of course, it is essential to reduce the amount of stress.

These were just some of the skin changes for which stress is known to be the main cause. It is necessary to be aware that the skin only shows the consequences of processes that occur from within, it is necessary to identify the causes and, if possible, eliminate them. Alleviating changes from the outside will not help in the long run if we do not remove or at least limit the cause from within.

Take time for yourself, hug your loved ones, go out into nature, meditate, anything that will distract you from your daily worries at work and elsewhere. Don't let stress be an obstacle in your life, be aware of the problem and don't let it run you over.

Literature:

– Alexopoulos A, Chrousos GP. Stress-related skin disorders. Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders 2016;17(3): 295–304
– Dixon LJ, Witcraft SM, McCowan NK, Brodell RT. Stress and skin disease quality of life: the moderating role of anxiety sensitivity social concerns. British Journal of Dermatology. 2018:178(4): 951–957
– Rousset L, Halioua B. Stress and psoriasis. International Journal of Dermatology. 2018;57: 1165 – 1172
– Lin TK, Zhong L, Santiago J. Association between Stress and the HPA Axis in Atopic Dermatitis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2017;18(10): 1 – 15
– Kanwar IL, Haider T, Kumari A, Dubey S, Jain P, Soni V. Models for acne: A comprehensive study. Drug Discoveries & Therapeutics. 2018;12(6): 329–340.
– Alopecia areata. Current situation and perspectives. (2017). Archivos Argentinos de Pediatria, 115(6): 404 – 411
– Azzawi S, Penzi LR, Senna MM. Immune Privilege Collapse and Alopecia Development: Is Stress a Factor? Skin Appendage Disorders. 2017: 1 – 9