The Effects of Stress on Skin Aging

Contrary to popular belief, stress isn’t just a matter of nervous tension. It can cause many physical and psychological harms to a person’s body and mind. Of course, we can’t completely eliminate stress from our lives. We must learn to live with it and ensure it remains at a controllable level that doesn’t harm us.

So, are you curious about how stress affects our skin?

Due to increased cortisol levels associated with stress, collagen and hyaluronic acid synthesis in the skin decreases. This decrease leads to fine wrinkles, lines, and a dull appearance. The skin loses its former vitality, resulting in a matte and lifeless complexion.

Stress also increases the formation of free radicals, accelerating the skin’s aging process.

It causes increased oiliness, triggers existing skin diseases, reduces hair quality, and leads to hair loss.

It also causes cold sores on the lips.

Furthermore, when under stress, people tend to abandon healthy habits; sleep quality decreases, healthy food consumption decreases, while caffeine and alcohol consumption increases. All of this leads to faster skin aging and more noticeable effects of time.

So what should we do to protect our skin when under stress?

We should continue our skincare routine, reduce excess oil with gentle cleansers to prevent acne and blackheads, use a moisturizer suitable for our skin type for both face and body, get quality sleep, eat healthily, drink plenty of water, and never neglect our sunscreen.