While there is no conclusive evidence that stress can cause acne but it is a known fact that stress can affect and aggravate acne.
Most of us link stress with emotions. But you will surprise to know physical stress can also be a cause for acne aggravation.
In this article you will find:
(i) Does stress can cause acne?
(ii) Why just worrying over acne will make it worse?
(iii) Stress Acne Treatment
Just imagine a scenario. It’s time for your final exam or interview and you are worried, tired and under stress. What you will observe is that your complexion is getting stressed out and you will notice that your pimples and acne actually are amplified. To support this there is one study published by Stanford University in 2003 which stated that the college students had acne aggravation during exams because of more stress during exam periods as compared to normal periods without exams.
The experts say that in case you already have pimples and you are passing through stressful conditions you will notice your pimples and acne get aggravated.
It has been found that emotional or physical stress does not cause a new case of acne, but in case you already have acne problem it can aggravate the acne and pimples conditions.
Whereas it has been found and concluded that acne and pimples amplify during stress, but it is still not known how stress worsens acne and pimples.
But some recent studies have tried to link the connection between stress and acne aggravation. It is a known fact that cells that produce the oily substance, called as sebum, have receptors for stress hormones. The sebum gets mixed up with dead skin cells and bacteria, resulting into clogging up of hair follicles leading to acne cysts and pimples. When you stress, a lot more sebum is produced to clog the hair follicles to form more pimples.
However, the above research is not conclusive yet. Experts are still trying to find out how exactly stress is linked to acne as the root cause, as the root cause may be different than sebum over-production.
How to get rid of stress acne: The best stress acne treatment is to try and reduce stress in your life. Exercising is one of the best ways to reduce stress. But do not overdo it, as physical stress can also flare up acne. Meditation and breathing exercises are other excellent ways to reduce stress.