How Stress Impacts Skin

I've talked a great deal about how stress can impact our skin, but let's take a deeper look at how our body's natural reaction to stress and the aftermath of chronic elevated cortisol levels.

How our body perceives stress

Our nervous system is designed to act a certain way when exposed to a threat. When our nervous system perceives a threat, it activates the sympathetic branch which is responsible for fight, flight or freeze. This act triggers the hypothalamic-adrenal axis (HPA axis) which releases cortisol and adrenaline.

This system is designed to work in short bursts and prepares the body to handle a threat. Once the threat passes, cortisol levels drop and your body can return to a regulated state which allows the body to heal and restore itself.

However; this day in age, we are not experiencing stress in short bursts. What we tend to experience is this response that never fully shuts down due to our professional and personal lives. This case is especially true for mothers, as we are always worried about something. Because of this, our bodies cannot tell the difference between a real threat and a overloaded nervous system that doesn’t know how to downshift. Therefore, cortisol stays elevated and causes a cascading effect.

What chronic cortisol does to the skin

It drives inflammation. In short bursts, cortisol is anti-inflammatory. But when elevated levels are chronic, it increases inflammation and dysregulated immune function. Chronic inflammation can exasperate conditions like acne, rosacea, eczema, perioral dermatitis, etc.  

It slows wound healing. When the body experiences a wound, the initial inflammatory response signals to the body that it needs to repair itself. When cortisol is high, it suppresses this activity, which can cause a higher risk of infection and scarring. When you receive treatments like peels or anything with a controlled injury, it can stunt your results because the natural reaction from your body is stunted.

It increases oil production and can alter the microbiome. Cortisol stimulates sebaceous gland activity which in turn increases oil production. This can contribute to increased breakouts, especially on the jawline and chin where we have more androgen receptors.

It compromises the barrier. It has been shown that people under chronic stress can have weakened skin structure. When cortisol levels are chronically high, it can interfere with the production of proteins that are vital for a healthy stratum corneum (the outermost layer of our skin) Research has also shown that stress is associated with increased levels of trans epidermal water loss.

It breaks down the intercellular matrix. High cortisol levels accelerate the breakdown of collagen and elastin, which are the fundamental proteins of our body’s connective tissues, which give our skin its resilience and strength. This can cause visible signs of skin aging like fine lines and wrinkles.

What this can mean for you in the treatment room

If you come in and are exhibiting signs of chronically stressed skin, we can discuss if our treatment needs to pivot. Aggressive treatments will not be the answer. We may need to take a look at your homecare regimen to ensure you are getting barrier supporting ingredients. Sometimes, a relaxing and slow environment with no screens, distractions and centered around a calming touch is what your nervous system needs to signal safety to your body.