Why does stress cause acne?

Recently, there have been a number of studies which have suggested that stress causes acne.  Stress causes acne in two different ways, it increases the production of hormones in the body, and it slows down the healing process in the body.  During extended periods of stress adrenal glands secrete norepinephrine and epinephrine.  An excess amount of these hormones results in the formation of acne.  Cortisol, a harmful stress hormone, is also released.  Cortisol has a number of negative effects on the body.  Cortisol produces a significant amount of oils on the skin making it very difficult for acne to heal.  Stress management combined with acne fighting skin products, is the best decision for preventing stress induced acne.

Teen Stress

Being a teenager is definitely not easy, there is so much change, both physically and emotionally.  This can be very stressful and if not treated correctly can be very dangerous.  Teen stress symptoms are similar to adult stress, but the causes are much different and should be treated differently.  Some common reasons for teen stress include:

• Increase in height and weight
• Change in voice
• Menarche (beginning of menstruation) in girls
• Development of secondary sexual characters
• Feeling of independence
• Attraction to the opposite sex
• Experimenting new things–substance abuse

Tips for dealing with teen stress include:

• Talking about our problems with parents/guidance counselors/ teachers
• Exercising and eating healthy
• Lowering unrealistic expectations
• Learning to accept who you are, finding unique strengths and building on them and learning to love yourself!

Stress & Weight

According to studies, those who deal with high levels of stress in the work place tend to weigh more.  Stress leads to a number of hormones being released, one being Cortisol.  Increased levels of Cortisol have been proven to slow down your bodies metabolism.  Generally those who are under a lot of stress at work, spend more time at work which leads to more fast food, and also eliminates free time that could be spent exercising.   Those who experience high levels of stress also tend to indulge in any cravings they have throughout the day, whether it’s ice cream a candy bar orst food.  A slower metabolism combined with no exercise and unhealthy eating will inevitably lead to excessive weight gain.  Not only will those who experience stress at the workplace suffer from weight gain, anyone who suffers from chronic stress could experience weight gain.

Stress Relief Techniques

Relieving stress is relatively simple, it’s just important to consistently practise these techniques and to take them seriously (sometimes I think can the way I breathe really make me feel better? The answer is YES!).

The most effective stress relief techniques include the following:

• Exercise
• Controlled Breathing
• Humor
• Yoga
• Massage

Here is an exercise for how to better your breathing.

• Comfortably sit with your back straight with one hand on your chest the other on your stomach
• Breathe in through your nose.  The hand on our stomach should move in a little, the other hand should not move at all.

• Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.
• Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. Count slowly as you exhale.

If you have a hard time breathing from your abdomen while sitting up, try lying down and putting a book on your stomach so that the book rises when you inhale and lowers when you exhale.

How to measure stress

Wii vitality sensor

How do you know if you’re stressed and why does it matter?  The answer is quite simple, once you know you’re stressed and know why then you can take measures to control your stress so it does not control you.  There are many methods for measuring stress, here are a few ideas.

• Stress Tests-this is an interactive tool, there are many stress tests available on the internet, here is one I took.
• Nintendo Wii vitality sensor
• Stress Monitor
• Biodots
• Stress Thermometer
• Mood card/stress card

Stress is linked to heart disease

While there isn’t a whole lot of scientific evidence, The American Institute of Stress has linked emotional stress to cause heart disease. Doctors have proven that emotions have both positive and negative effects on the heart. Those who experience ‘acute’ stress from traumatic situations such as natural disasters, or other life changing events, increase their chances of getting heart attacks or other coronary heart diseases. Some suggest that these situations place a significant amount of stress on the heart due to the significant amount of adrenaline released during the fight-or-flight reaction.

Eustress: Positive Stress

Although the word stress usually has a negative connotation, stress is actually necessary for all human beings to live.  Not all stress is bad, in fact, some stress is quite good.  Eustress is the type of ‘positive’ stress that keeps us excited about life. The excitement of a roller-coaster ride, a scary movie, or a fun challenge are all examples of eustress.

Eustress is essential for one’s attitude.  It is essential that we engage in  activiities and hobbies that we enjoy, especially when we are stressed out.  By participating in such activities, we remember that even though life can be really hard and stressful at times, it can also be fun and exciting.