April is Stress Awareness Month and a tough year of living through a global pandemic may have taken its toll on your skin.
From break outs to psoriasis flare ups, rashes to rosacea, stress causes a chemical response in your body that makes skin more sensitive and reactive.
We take a closer look at how stress and anxiety can affect the skin and how to combat it below.
What Does Stress Do To Your Skin?
During moments of tension your body produces excess cortisol, sometimes referred to as the “stress hormone”, which can wreak havoc on your skin as it tells glands to produce more oil. Oily skin is more prone to acne and other skin problems.
Cortisol also has the ability to weaken the skin’s immune system, causing something called oxidative stress. An extended period of oxidative stress can accelerate the skin aging process, resulting in a loss of collagen, decreased moisture, and fine lines and wrinkles.
Stress can also aggravate skin problems as it increases inflammation on the body, causing conditions like eczema, rosacea and psoriasis to flare up. Being stressed may make you less likely to keep up healthy habits, like drinking enough water, exercising, and completing your daily skin care routine.
Ironically, the effects of stress on your skin can also result in you becoming even more stressed!
It may be difficult to avoid stress completely, but it’s important that you’re prepared with effective ways to handle it, and the damage that it can potentially cause to your skin.
Here are a few approaches that the team at Koha Skin Clinic recommend.
Ways To Combat The Effects Of Stress On Your Skin
Stick to a routine
Maintaining a routine with a healthy, balanced diet, regular exercise, and getting eight hours of sleep each night can help you manage any stress in your daily life and reduce the impact it will have on your skin.
Coping strategies
Dedicate time to finding some coping strategies for managing stress. Whether it’s yoga, meditation, or simply taking time out to read your favourite book, it’s important to find things that work for you, before stress takes over.
Invest in your skin
It’s also important not to neglect your skin, even when you’re feeling stressed and tired. Incorporate products that contain soothing and anti-inflammatory ingredients (such as aloe vera and niacinamide) into your daily routine, and your skin will thank you.
Regular skin treatments – such as facials – can also be a good way to combat stress. Facials can release stress tension from the head and neck, and scheduling some well-deserved ‘me time’ to focus on yourself and your skin for an hour or two can work wonders.
Start Your Journey to Clearer Skin
At Koha Skin Clinics, our range of treatments include advanced facials, microneedling and skin peels, all of which are designed to help your skin repair itself. We also offer proven non-surgical enhancements such as dermal fillers and anti-wrinkle injections.
So, whether you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up, or a plan that will address a range of skincare concerns, our experienced team will be on hand to provide you with a bespoke programme that delivers noticeable results.
Fortunata Oleszkiewicz, Koha Clinic’s Manager, Fortunata Oleszkiewicz, has been working in the industry for over 10 years and is dedicated to making people feel happier and more confident in their own skin with her transformational treatments. Find out more and book your post-lockdown appointment at Koha Clinics now: http://kohaclinics.com/