If you hearken back to prom, exam time or even your wedding day, you might find that there's a common thread tying them together � you probably had a zit -- or three.
Why? Stress.
"Recent studies have shown a direct link between stress levels and increases of acne," says Murad. "Scientists now believe that during times of stress, our bodies release elevated levels of [two hormones] that stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce excess oil." And, of course, that excess oil leads to clogged pores, blackheads and acne.
Additionally, stress slows down the healing process -- it can decrease the wound healing capacity of the immune system by up to 40 percent so that your breakouts will last longer than usual.
Super news. So what's a girl to do?
Next: Acne solutions
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Keep acne under control
Dr. Murad points out that we contend with two different kinds of stresses and that both are bad for our skin.
The first, he calls "cultural" and says, "it's constant and pervasive" and includes things like having to wait in line and having your Blackberry buzz 24/7. The second is "real stress": the heavy-duty things like death and illness.
Rather than slap a band-aid on the problem, Murad likes to have patients work on undoing the stress itself. "It sounds simple, but just don't get stressed out. What works to calm you? Reading? Join a book club. Tight muscles? Get a massage. You need to take care of yourself even if it's just in little ways."
As for fighting the acne, once it's reared its ugly (white)head, Murad recommends using products designed to fight acne and aging at the same time like Murad Anti-Aging Acne Treatment, $55. For more help with fighting acne and aging, check out these tips.
Next: Find out if stress can cause wrinkles.
Are you convinced that your hair's thinning? Is your skin angry and inflamed? Do your nails splinter faster than you can file them? Are you wondering WHAT IS GOING ON?
OK, one last question: Have you been more on edge than usual lately? If you answered YES to any (or all) of these queries, you might be experiencing the gnarly toll that stress can take on your looks.
We've all heard that anxiety and tension play key roles in the progression of life threatening internal diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes, but now's the time to learn about what happens to the things we can see on the outside.
To get answers, we went to two top dogs; Dr. Howard Murad, noted dermatologist and skin care guru, and Philip Kingsley, trichologist and peerless authority on hair health.
Let's jump right in and see what they had to say -- the anticipation is, well, stressing us out �
