Sheheryar Amin

STRESS, THE CONCEALED CULPRIT Ask anyone if they have heard that beauty starts within and they will definitely reply in the affirmative. And it is true. More often than not, it’s the internal issues that give you a harder time than the external issues. Sometimes, a strong skin care routine is just not enough to keep the skin glowing, fresh and calm. So what can be the internal reasons that can make your skin go crazy? It’s stress. Stress causes a spike in your cortisol level that can prevent your nerves from sending the right messages to the right recipients, which can cause anything from an acne breakout to premature worry lines. This connection has recently been the focus of many studies. Although we’ve heard a lot about our diet, our skincare products, or our hair care products affecting our skin, we aren’t as aware of stress related symptoms as we should be. Below, we’ve outlined some ways that stress affects your skin. INFLAMMATION AND IRRITATION Studies are now showing that a stress riddled brain can greatly compromise your skin’s ability to protect itself and the rest of the body. Inflammation can cause acne, eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, and a host of other complications to your skin. The skin find it very difficult to regulate and stay balanced if the mind is under some kind of stress. Now can you figure out why you had that sudden breakout right after a fierce argument? INCREASED OIL PRODUCTION Who here hasn’t faced stubborn pimples? It could be due to your finals or maybe a spontaneous news. Now science has found that stress of that kind is directly responsible for acne, especially for women—and can cause overflow of chemicals and hormones that in turn increase the production of sebum from the sebaceous glands. WAXY SCALP, WEAK NAILS, AND HAIR LOSS Stress can manifest itself into our lives in many ways. Sometimes stress can activate your body’s fight-or-flight response that can trigger hormones, or cortisol. Just a word of advice, just check with your doctor before assuming that its stress related. THIN, SENSITIVE SKIN If the stress becomes too high and unbearable, it can cause extremely high levels of cortisol. That can affect your skin adversely and your skin can become thinner and more sensitive. Doctors can prescribe treatments for cortisol level management. Stop the stress cycle Stress does not have the same effects on everyone. Each person can show different symptoms to stress. Eliminating stress-related inflammation starts with finding out the cause. That may be difficult sometimes but there are ways to take care of it. You can take up meditation or yoga, avoid artificial foods, introduce more organic foods into your diet, choose fish over red meat, etc. Keep a workout routine or take 5-10 minute breaks during your studies to reduce the stress level. Avoid showers with extremely hot water as it may damage your skin even more. Make a routine for yourself and stick to it so you can have more consistency in your day and less number of surprises. Eat more antioxidant-rich food to strengthen your body from the inside. If you’re already trying meditation and yoga for sleep, add essential oil diffusers, cleansers, a facial pore cleanser to your routine and the most often quoted but less practiced — shut down all screens at least 2 hours before going to bed.