Stress & Hormones: How Stress on Your Skin & Hormones Affects You
You may think about stress differently than most other people think about it. You may think of stress as something that only resides in your mind; therefore, stress seems to be completely separated from your body. Your mind communicates with your body and vice versa, whether you realize it or not. For example, when you are under mental or emotional strain, the body converts that mental and emotional strain into hormones, chemicals and physical signs.
Examples of Mind-Body Connection are easily found in Hormones and Skin. If you’ve ever experienced acne before a big presentation, you already understand how this connection works. Also, if you currently experience skin irritations, especially during stressful months, this is also a clear example of the connection.
The Relationship between The Mind And Body
When you think about how quickly your brain communicates with your body, you can picture it as a control center. If a person’s brain senses a danger (even if it is just a huge stack of bills), it sends out a “red alert” through the nervous system.
They have deployed hormones into the bloodstream that would help them survive. That is why this is referred to as the “fight or flight” scenario. While it helped our ancestors to survive by running from predators, our modern day brains tend to function in an “alert” status for several weeks at a time. As the largest organ of the body, and with millions of nerves and blood vessels, our skin is essentially a conduit, representing the internal turmoil created by stressors.
The Effects of Stress on Hormonal Balance
Stress is often associated with Cortisol as it is often referred to as the ‘stress hormone’ and it serves a vital role in small amounts or short-term stressors; however, when a person ends up with elevated Cortisol from long-term or chronic stress, the impact it has on your hormonal balance is like a freight train coming through, destroying everything in its path.
“Cortisol Dominance” refers to when there is an increase in Cortisol in the body, therefore a person’s body loses its hormonal balance due to the elevated level of Cortisol telling the body to put “safeguarding the survival and growth of tissue” as the number one priority over all other hormone functions deemed non-essential.
Stress can affect both testosterone and estrogen production. Where there is commonly seen what are referred to as, abnormal menstrual cycles in women to mood swings and decreased sex drive in men.
Stress increases the amount of sugar in the blood because of the elevated Cortisol causing the pancreas to produce more Insulin, which will result in increased fat storage in the body and increased inflammation within the body.
You may experience the symptoms of fatigue, weight gain, or loss, and one of the most toward manifestations of hormonal imbalance is the unhealthy appearance of the skin.
The Effect of Stress on the Skin
Your skin cells are equipped with receptors that recognize that you are under emotional stress. Therefore, your skin cells react to your mental stress. They react in different ways to physical stress:
Stress-Induced Acne
Cortisol triggers sebum oil production by the sebaceous glands, leading to excess oil production. The combination of increased oil production resulting from increased cortisol levels combined with increased inflammation from stress leading to inflamed clogged pores results in cystic acne breakouts located along the jawline and cheeks.
Lines and Wrinkles
Chronic Stress Shortens Telomeres. Telomeres are protective caps on a person’s DNA and chronically elevated cortisol levels result in damaged collagen and elastin, the structural proteins that support the elasticity and thoroughness of skin. A person living a highly stressful lifestyle will develop fine lines early on and lose their radiance as collagen and elastin are destroyed.
Sensitivity or Growth of Inflammation
Stress diminishes the ability of skin to naturally repel moisture through the skin’s barrier. When the skin’s protective barrier weakens, the skin loses moisture and cannot properly absorb moisture, so it becomes dry and dull and irritated by allergens that are normally kept out by the skin. Conditions that develop during times of elevated stress such as eczema, psoriasis and rosacea often exhibit flares. This can cause the skin to be more reactive and less able to regenerate functionality.
Your skin is more than a protective layer; it’s a way your body communicates. When you recognize that what happens on the inside will affect the outside, you can take a much more holistic approach to wellness. In addition to supporting mental well-being, stress management is an important component to include in your routine for healthy skin and hormones.
Stress Is Impacting Your Physical Health
Due to the fact that you have learned to adapt to living in a constant state of hyper vigilance it may be difficult for you to recognize when your body is under stress until you experience physical signs. Here are four signs of physical stress:
Chronic Fatigue and Interrupted Sleep: You may feel as though you are “tired but wired.” Even if you receive 8 hours of sleep, you will not be able to reach the deep, restorative stages of REM sleep if your body is flooded with cortisol and, as a result, you will feel exhausted after waking up the following morning.
Weight Changes: The place in your body that will gain/lose weight due to stress will frequently be your stomach area. The reason for this is the relationship between insulin and cortisol because cortisol signals the body to store fat for “survival” or “emergency” purposes.
Sensitive Skin: If the skin on your face was clear when you were on vacation, and then started to break out or itch the moment you return to your work environment, then your work environment is likely creating physical stress in your body.
Emotional Instability: If you are experiencing frequent changes in mood, being irritable, or feeling overwhelmed, it is likely due to the fact that your body’s hormones are at their limits.
Managing Stress for Better Skin & Hormone Health
Creating stress‑relieving habits each day signals to your central nervous system that the threat to your well‑being has passed, allowing hormonal and skin systems to return to normal function.
Daily Activities: Establishing a routine by including daily activities that help you reduce your stress levels, like meditative breathing for five minutes, taking walks outdoors or practicing digital detoxing right before bed, can lower your average baseline of cortisol levels.
The Most Important Factors:
Sleep = a sound sleep environment—cool and dark is helpful to promote the natural production of melatonin.
Hydration = Drinking water allows your body to eliminate toxins and keep the skin’s natural barrier intact (as described earlier).
Nutrition = Eating foods that are known to reduce inflammation in the body. Anti-Inflammatory Foods Combined with omega-3s, leafy green vegetables and antioxidants to fight against the effects of oxidative stress due to mental stress.
Gentle Skin Care: Stress can make our skin more susceptible to irritation—this is why we should not use aggressive products or methods for cleansing or exfoliating. Instead, use ingredients that contain ceramides, fresh hyaluronic acid, or aloe, that are gentle on the skin and reduce swelling caused by stress.
Many times, trying to fix hormonal and skin imbalances on your own does not lead to sufficient improvement. This is where modern wellness treatments and medical‑grade therapies step in to bridge the gap and provide more effective results.
How Treatments for Wellness Aid the Body in Finding Equilibrium?
In addition to being aesthetic in nature, professional treatments for skin imbalance and stress are recovery-based as well. Professional environments that offer medical-grade treatments employ specific treatment strategies that target both the cause and symptoms of stress and imbalance. As an example, lymphatic drainage massage can help to remove swelling caused by cortisol elevations, while medical facials can improve the condition of damaged skin barrier.
Skin Treatments Supported by Hormone Therapy
For those experiencing major hormonal shifts such as during perimenopause or with prolonged adrenal fatigue, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and/or bioidentical hormone therapy can support the body’s hormone balance that has been disrupted by stress.
Individualized Treatment Plans
Every person has a different threshold for stress and makes up biologically uniquely to them; consequently a single treatment plan for everyone does not exist. Scheduling an appointment for a professional evaluation provides an individual with the opportunity to develop a personalized plan based upon blood work, skin type and individual needs.
Final Thoughts
Your mental state, hormonal balance, and healthy skin all have an interconnected relationship. The skin often serves as a “signal” when you need to give more love to your inner being. When you recognize that physical effects of stress exist, you can be proactive in caring for your physical health.
Stress management is not a privilege; it should be looked at as a key pillar of your skin’s well-being and long-term hormonal functionality. Taking steps now, whether through daily meditation or consulting with professionals to balance hormones, will result in healthier skin in many years to come.
Take that first step toward achieving a healthier balance. If you’re experiencing stress-related physical changes, book a wellness consultation to learn about how to create a personalized wellness plan that will help you regain your glow and balance within.