Stress Damage: How Cortisol Can Negatively Affect Your Skin
No matter how flawless your skin may be, we have all dealt with blemishes on our faces at least once in our lives. Similarly, no matter how good you are at coping under pressure, it is undeniable that we have all gone through a stressful period in our lives – whether this stems from job-related stress, financial difficulties, or relationship conflicts.
When under stress, the human body reacts in a number of ways — some of which might have major unintended consequences. Although it has long been believed that emotional stress may cause or worsen acne problems, it was only until recent years that its influence on acne severity has been taken seriously. Simply put, acne and stress can interact in a harmful cycle that sabotages your skin. Read on to learn about how stress can damage your skin and result in acne-related issues.
An introduction to stress acne
Your stress hormones increase during times of stress, causing your oil glands to generate more oil, which subsequently causes acne to flare up. But unlike other forms of breakouts, stress acne typically occurs in your face’s oiliest regions. The hallmark symptoms of stress acne include redness and itching.
How cortisol can negatively affect your skin
Adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol are released when your body is under stress. This hormonal increase is transient, and it has little to no impact on your skin if you have a healthy stress response.
However, when we are repeatedly exposed to stress or when a single stressful incident is too much for us to handle, these hormones remain active for too long and cause damage to our skin. The immune system, digestive system, reproductive system, and development processes are all susceptible to being impacted by the systemic reaction that cortisol causes within the body.
In the case of your skin, the stress hormone cortisol will increase the production of sebum which can clog pores, cause inflammation and breakouts. Inflammation may cause skin diseases like rosacea, eczema, or psoriasis to flare up as well as impede acne from healing.
Moreover, cortisol will also lead to a decline in the production of elastin, collagen, and other skin proteins. When the body produces too little collagen, pits or depressions may form as your skin heals from pimples and acne. This will result in unattractive acne scars and pigmentation.
Treating stress-related acne breakouts with The Clifford Clinic
The unfortunate truth is that stress will always be prevalent in our lives. Besides practicing stress coping techniques and avoiding the common acne-causing habits, there are many acne treatments in Singapore that can help the skin deal with and reverse the negative effects of stress.
For example, The Clifford Clinic offers AGNES Acne treatment – the latest breakthrough in permanent acne treatments. Targeting only the pores on the face that are prone to acne, the oil-producing gland is shocked with a little electrical current using a very fine wire attached to the AGNES machine. This will help regulate how much oil the gland produces by reducing its size. Without oil, a blockage cannot form, and a blockage cannot result in a pimple! By the first treatment, patients often see a 50 to 70% reduction in acne outbreaks, and after the third session, most patients experience up to 90% clearance in their acne.
Alternatively, you may also consider our HydraFacial treatment – a non-surgical procedure that cleanses, hydrates and revitalizes your skin in just 45 minutes. You can expect a significant reduction in the appearance of acne, skin texture, pigmentation and fine lines post-treatment. The best part? There is no downtime or discomfort!
Lastly, our Gold Photothermal Therapy Treatment (PTT) can treat acne at its source by targeting and altering the pores and glands that produce sebum. Gold nanoparticles are injected into these pores and glands during the treatment using a dermatological laser. This will create a focused photo-thermal effect that decreases the activity of the follicle and sebaceous gland.
Apart from AGNES, HydraFacial and Gold PTT, we also offer various acne marks treatments in Singapore, such as our Q-Switch Laser Treatment for those battling with marks or pigmentation on the skin that were left behind by pesky pimples. This procedure uses a high-energy laser pulse to effectively remove undesirable skin markings without any harm to the skin. A brown spot can be completely removed in one treatment, between 75 and 100%. In some cases, a second treatment is necessary to fully heal the injured region. This laser treatment will also gently promote the skin’s natural collagen to keep your skin feeling tight and supple.
To learn more about our acne treatments, feel free to contact us today for more information! Let us help you in your journey to a flawless complexion free of stress-related blemishes.