The Effects of Stress on Your Skin and How to Treat It

Last summer, my skin was, dare I say, actually perfect—or the closest to perfection I had ever seen my acne-prone, combination face look. My breakouts were rare, my hyperpigmentation was diminishing, and my cheeks glow while my T-zone remained balanced. I had never felt so confident in my skin, as I’ve dealt with breakouts since I was about 11. But all good things must come to an end, apparently, because for the last four months, my skin has done a 180 and is looking the worst I’ve ever seen it. What’s the deal?

I finally made an appointment to see my dermatologist, and was told that stress was the problem. I didn’t know how stress could affect my skin. We’ve seen the memes of a president’s hair going from full and dark to thin and grey after eight years in office—my skin was basically that. But it makes sense—after a few months of stressful events in my personal life, the busy season at work, lack of sleep, and pandemic fatigue catching up with me, my skin was crying out for help.

If you think stress could be impacting your skin too, here’s a little bit of background on why so you can make sure to treat it effectively. I reached out to Dr. Loretta Ciraldo, a Miami-based board certified dermist and founder of Dr. Loretta skincare for her insight (I trust this woman with my life) on how stress affects skin.

How stress affects your skin

In the simplest of terms, “increased stress causes the release of more cortisol,” Ciraldo explained. “Our skin has cortisol receptors that then go on to trigger an increase in skin blood vessel dilation, resulting in skin redness and worsening of conditions like rosacea as well as an increase in collagen breakdown leading to the deepening of lines and wrinkles.” Over time, this increase in cortisol can deplete your skin’s natural oils, leading to a compromised moisture barrier that brings a whole host of skin issues along with it.

Stress can cause more problems than just breakouts. You may notice a change in your skin’s appearance, such as fine lines and wrinkles appearing, or deeperening, dullness, or other signs of aging. Stress could be a reason for your skin’s rosacea, eczema, or other skin conditions. You likely already know the impact hormones can have on your skin (ahem, breakouts before your period); it’s the same principle. 

Chronic stress is the most likely to cause skin problems. You might break out after a hard fight at work or before a performance review, but that’s just temporary stress. Your body will naturally settle down after a few days. When you’re experiencing continued stress over a long period of time that never feels like it lets up, that’s when you’ll begin to notice a big shift in your skin. Hyperpigmentation lingers, your skin gets really oily or dry, and it just looks overall “blah,” no matter how many face masks and exfoliating treatments you try. 

How to Reduce the Skin’s Effects of Stress

De-stress

The good thing about treating your skin after a bout of stress is that it’s basically free, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Pinpointing what’s making you stressed is the first line of defense. Are you overwhelmed at work? Are you arguing with your significant other frequently? Generally, stress comes about from things we cannot control, so instead of trying to “fix” things that don’t have an easy solution, focus on how you cope. 

Therapy is a great way for you to learn and implement coping methods to help with stress and to deal with the negative emotions. You can find distracting strategies that challenge your mind to think about other things than what’s making you anxious, like calling a friend, cleaning your room, reading a book, or taking a nap (don’t have to tell me twice). 

Avoid worrying about your skin when your skin is irritated by stress. Ciraldo recommended staying away from pore-magnifying mirrors (those really are evil, aren’t they?) They can make you look even worse than before. You can apply moisturizer and concealer to your skin and call it good. 

Take it slow when it comes to skincare

But while you’re waiting for all that me-time to magically make you feel more relaxed, you can employ the help of a little skincare. “The best approach to lessen the effects of stress on your skin is to determine what visible effect the increased stress is having on your skin and to address the unwanted changes with appropriate skincare,” Ciraldo said. 

In her dermatology practice, Ciraldo explained she’s had a number of patients come in after a divorce, losing a loved one, traumatic life events, school finals, and more who are experiencing accelerated aging or breakouts. “The most successful approach is to address these issues in a more skin-friendly, less aggressive approach, whether they are aging changes or acne.” Because stress can weaken your moisture barrier, you’ll want to forgo exfoliating treatments and harsh products while you get your skin back on track. 

“It may be that you have been so stressed out that you are getting more aggressive with your use of exfoliants or retinoids to try to look better faster, but stress can also make our skin more sensitive, so it is important to dial down on aggressive products, either in the frequency of application or the concentration of the product,” Ciraldo suggested. For now, avoid using at-home exfoliants and drying face masks. Instead, focus on strengthening your moisture barrier by using simple, hydrating products.

When you are ready to bring treatments back into your regimen, Ciraldo recommended following the product’s directions to a T (meaning if it says only leave on for three minutes, don’t sit in a bathrobe for 20!). You should reduce the frequency of your treatments if you experience redness, itching, or stinging. 

Follow your skincare routine

Be sure to try to have a good morning and nighttime skincare routine if you don’t already have one. “Skincare cannot work unless you apply the products on your skin,” Ciraldo said. Make sure that you have a standard morning and evening skincare routine and that you’re following it. Stress can often make us too tired to wash our faces before bed or too busy in the mornings to do a big routine, which is why it’s so important to develop a routine that you can stick to and feel excited about. A routine that has too many steps can feel like a chore. 

Your routine should make you happy. You should fill it with products you love using. Sometimes, a splurgy skincare product is more about the experience than if it’s actually any better than a drugstore alternative. There are tons of affordable products that can make us happy to take off our makeup at nights. No matter what, your skincare routine should be a source of joy. “Try to think of your regimens as your ‘me time’ and as something positive you are taking the time to do for yourself.”

Sleep better

For your skin and healing chronic stress, it is important to get enough sleep. Ciraldo recommended at least seven hours sleep per night, but your body will know best. If you need six hours of sleep, you should get it. If you can only function with a cup of coffee in your hand for less than eight hours per night, you know what you should do.