How stress affects acne -- Here's what experts say

Here's why women see pimples pop up on their face a few days prior to their wedding.

The moment you spot a pimple on your face, you get stressed. However, most people believe that stress can lead to acne. Before you start wondering what the cause of acne is and how stress is related to acne, you need to know the exact cause of acne. Unlike the popular belief, acne is mainly caused due to hormonal changes that occur in the body and not because of some impurities in the blood, says Dr Smriti Naswa Singh, Consultant Dermatologist, Fortis Hospital, Mumbai. Although stress doesn t cause acne, it can aggravate it.Here s how stress can lead to acne.

Stress and acne how is it related?

Have you ever wondered -- why you have sudden breakouts on the skin as soon as the date of your exams nears? Why do women see sudden flare-ups a few days prior to their wedding day? Here are 6 treatment options to get rid of acne forever.

A 2003 study by Stanford University study and published in the Archives of Dermatology [1] revealed that acne flare-ups are reported during exams due to stress. Just like any other part of the body, skin is no exception to the negative effects of stress. When you are stressed, there is an excess secretion of androgens or hormones like cortisol, which is also known as a stress hormone. This hormone is known to increase the production of sebum (oil) by the sebaceous glands present in the skin. Moreover, these hormones also affect the body s ability to heal thereby worsening the condition. And hence unless you take care of the stress, acne medications also fail to show effective results.

While acne in teens is quite common, there have been cases of adulthood acne which are quite common. And according to DrSmriti Naswa Singh, adulthood acne is more severe than that seen during puberty as stress is the main trigger in early adulthood. Hence, it is important to know the real reason behind acne and act upon it along with taking medications. And the best way is to manage your stress is by practising meditation or yoga. You can even indulge in a hobby to calm your stress. Being stress-free is the most effective way to deal with acne, especially in the adulthood. We bet you think these 11 acne myths are true!

References:

1. Chiu A, Chon SY, Kimball AB. The response of skin disease to stress: changes in the severity of acne vulgaris as affected by examination stress. Arch Dermatol. 2003 Jul;139(7):897-900. PubMed PMID: 12873885.

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