Stress, Women, and Acne

Stress is a proven precipitator of acne at any age. Yet here is another area in which the adolescent and adult differ greatly. Young people are able to bounce back from the effects of cortisol, a stress hormone, within a matter of hours. On the other hand, when the release of cortisol is triggered in adults, it can circulate through their system for days, exacerbating acne-ups.

It is sad but true that acne often rears its ugly head at the most inopportune times. Ask anyone who has had acne, and he or she will confirm that it has an uncanny knack of flaring up just in time for that special event—a first date, important job interview, or wedding! This happens far too frequently to be chalked up to bad luck or coincidence. Believe it or not, this is actually good news. It means that instead of being a random occurrence, there is an identifiable physiological cause of acne flare-ups: stress.

Of all the physical conditions we experience, stress is the most deadly. Many circumstances create stress in our daily lives. Arguments with family, friends, or colleagues; not enough sleep; worry; working too hard or even playing too hard can all create stress. Weekend warriors who try to make up for a week spent sitting at a desk by spending hours in strenuous physical activity raise their stress levels to an unhealthy degree. Any activity that is practiced in excess can lead to control your acne flare-ups.

To understand the stress response we must learn a little nit about the adrenal hormones. Any from of stress, whether emotional or physical, results in the activation of the stress response in out bodies. It is the body’s survival mechanism, and has been since humankind’s earliest days. For example, thousands of years ago, when humans lived in caves, a simple stroll to the watering hole might mean an unpleasant encounter with a wild and hungry animal. Such a confrontation would cause an immediate surge of adrenaline to course through the body, accompanied by a release of the stress hormone cortisol into the bloodstream, this team of hormones
kick starts the body, energizing it to get our of that stressful situation-sometimes who seemingly superhuman speed. When adrenaline and cortisol kick into action, blood sugar and amino acid levels rise, providing energy at the cellular level to activate the body’s fight or flight response.

This was a very good thing when the fight or flight response came in handy for the occasional chance meeting with a saber-toothed tiger. But when you fast-forward to modern society, with its constant, daily stressors—from traffic jams to college exams – a problem arises. The protective fight mechanism is forced to work overtime, resulting in constantly elevated levels of cortisol.

Elevated levels of cortisol are very destructive to the body. Elevated cortisol levels cause an increase on blood sugar, which in turn causes an instantaneous response from our cells as they enter an extreme pro-inflammatory mode. You may be asking yourself , “how can what goes on in my adrenal glands have an effect on my acne?” Acne is a systemic, inflammatory disease. According to Webster’s dictionary, systemic mean “of or pertaining to the general system, or the body as a whole.” Simply put, everything you do—from eating to exercise, undergoing stress to sleep (or not!)—has an impact on your acne.