At this point, it is not an exaggeration to say that we are all living in a time of unprecedented stress due to the pandemic. Of course, stress manifests itself in many ways and everyone experiences it differently, but for the purpose of this story, we’re talking about stress acne.
Not the stress-induced pimple that pops up right before a big test in school or presentation at work. Rather, the kind of impact that long-term feelings of underlying stress, coupled with universal uncertainty in the world, can have on our skin.
“The relationship between psychological stress and the physical appearance of skin is affected by complex interactions across the body,” explains Evan Rieder, a board-certified physician who specializes in both psychiatry and dermatology in New York City. In short: “Stress can cause many skin conditions to worsen,” he says
For more information on the link between stress and breakouts, plus some of the best ways to deal with, treat and prevent stress acne, we tapped a pool of skin and psychiatric experts. Here’s what they had to say.
Why do feelings of stress show up on our skin?
“First of all, stress never makes anything better, and lots of skin conditions including eczema, psoriasis, and acne can flare with stress,” explains Shari Marchbein, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. (A study from Stanford University School of Medicine found that increased acne severity was “significantly associated” with higher stress levels.) “Pimples, whether large cystic lesion or small comedones are caused by a combination of four things.”
Those four things include bacteria (called c. acnes), general inflammation, plugged-up pores, and hormones — which is the key factor associated with stress-induced acne. Specifically, a hormone called cortisol, “which increases in the blood at times of stress or with lack of sleep,” is responsible for triggering breakouts, Marchbein explains.
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