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Stress and acne: Are they related?

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Gytree Team
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Stress and acne

Acne is one of the most common skin problems. There are multiple factors involved in the origin of acne ranging from the hereditary background, amount of androgens, skin lipids to inflammatory signalling. There are some studies done to find out the correlation between stress and acne.

According to OASH stress does not cause acne, but it may be caused by a side effect of some medications that are used to treat stress or depression. According to recent studies it was found that even though emotional stress has been suspected to trigger acne for a long time, its influence on the severity has been mostly underestimated until recently when studies have brought new data about the correlation.

Stress and acne

There are several factors that might trigger acne:

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Hormone changes during puberty. Acne during puberty is a common thing to happen, it happens because during puberty, there’s an increase in the male sex hormones called androgens in a female body. This increase causes the sebaceous glands to become larger and produce more sebum.

Hormone changes during adulthood. Hormone changes during the pregnancy, menopause might improve acne in some women and worsen in some. Stopping the use of birth control pills can also be a reason.

Medicines. Certain medicines which are used for the treatment of depression can also be a reason for triggering acne.

Make up: Chemicals in make-up Products can irritate the skin and exacerbate acne.

Genetics or Family history. If acne is present in your family, there is a high chance that  you will also have it.

Chronic stress increases the levels of stress-related hormones like cortisol and makes the skin’s sebaceous glands overactive. To manage chronic stress you can try different relaxation techniques. Yoga, deep breathing exercises, adequate sleep can help manage chronic stress. 

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Cutting back on sugar can also help manage acne breakouts. Along with this you should talk to your dermatologist to understand your skin type and try to establish a day and nightly skin care routine that treats acne.

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