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Effects of Stress on Your Skin

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Stress can wreak havoc on your health. It has been linked to a number of health problems, including depression and anxiety, sleep disorders, headache, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and more. Stress can affect your skin by aggravating skin problems, such as psoriasis, eczema, acne, and hives. Stress can also affect your hair and nails. It can be a vicious cycle, with stress causing skin problems and skin problems causing stress.

Your emotions have a powerful effect on your skin. In fact, a new field of medicine, called psychodermatology, has developed that focuses on the complexities of the mind-skin connection. Experts of psychodermatology treat skin problems that are caused or worsened by stress.

woman with fingers held up to face

WebMD takes a look at the effects of stress on your skin and what you can do about it.

We All Get Stressed

No one is immune to stress. In small doses, stress can be good because it motivates you to get things done and keeps you on your toes. But ongoing stress can wear you down and make you sick, both inside and out.

Stress Effects on Skin

Stress causes a chemical reaction in your body that makes skin more sensitive and reactive. Have you ever noticed that when you are stressed, you break out more? This is because stress causes your body to produce cortisol and other hormones, which tells your sebaceous glands to produce more oil. Oily skin is more prone to acne and other skin problems. In addition, stress can also make it harder for skin problems to heal.

Stress affects skin in several ways, including:

Stress makes existing skin problems worse. For example, stress can worsen these conditions: psoriasis, a condition that occurs when skin cells grow too quickly causing skin sores; rosacea, a skin disease that causes persistent redness, swelling, pimples, and visible blood vessels, mostly on the face; and eczema, a group of skin conditions that cause the skin to become red, swollen, and itchy. In addition, stress can cause hives and other types of skin rashes, trigger a flaring of fever blisters, and, as mentioned, worsen acne.

Stress can interfere with daily skin care. If you have a million and one things to do or are absolutely exhausted, it is easy to take shortcuts in your daily skin care. If you don't take care of your skin or abuse your skin, it can aggravate skin problems.

Not only does stress affect the skin, skin problems can make those affected even more stressed. People with disfiguring skin problems, such as severe acne or psoriasis, may be so embarrassed by their condition that they become socially isolated and experience more stress, making the problem worse.

If you suffer from a skin problem that is not responding to treatment or reoccurs, consider the level of stress in your life, and take steps to minimize it.

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