In his book, "Wrinkle-Free Forever: The 5-Minute 5-Week Dermatologist's Program", Dr. Murad explains "which ingredients help you attract and hold water in your skin and [which] supplements boost hydration and prevent water loss." Note-worthy supplements were glucosamine and antioxidants.
One sure way to help counter tension-induced wrinkles, as well as all other stress-related side effects, is to adopt a stress management program. Exercise (Pilates has been shown to be almost as effective as yoga in combating stress), eat well, and get plenty of sleep. May sound low-tech, but it's been proven to work.
Next: The havoc stress is wreaking on your hair.
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Can stress make your hair fall out?
When you're stressed out you may feel like "pulling your hair out," but did you ever realize that it can actually cause your hair to fall out?
It's true. "Stress can lead to extra hair [falling out] but it can take a while to manifest," says Kingsley. In fact, "telogen effluvium" is a common hair loss problem that can occur up to three months after a stressful event.
The tricky part is that little can be done to help the situation. "[The hair loss] cannot be curtailed but needs to run its course," says Kingsley who's the first to note that it's a vicious cycle of sorts.
"It's easy to say 'don't be stressed' but this is more difficult than it sounds and the more you worry about [losing your hair], the more stressed you get and the more [that] falls out." The good news is that after the initial loss, hair usually grows back in six to nine months.
But is there NOTHING we can do in the meantime?
Next: What you can do to help keep hair on your head.
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Keep hair from falling out
Kingsley advises getting more sleep and taking vitamin B supplements -- both are indicated to help keep hair follicles from "releasing the hairs prematurely." He also recommends the "use of a scalp mask that's massaged into the scalp every two to three days before shampooing." Try Philip Kingsley Scalp Mask, $6.82.
Next: Can stress really make your hair gray?
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Can stress make hair gray?
OK, it causes acne and wrinkles and makes your hair fall out, but stress can't really cause gray hair too, can it?
One word. Kinda.
According to Kingsley, "It does appear that stress can cause hair to turn gray faster, although it hasn't been definitively proven. Stress can cause the B vitamins to become depleted, which is associated with being gray," he says.
Next: Is there any way to stave off the graying process?
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Embrace the gray
There is no evidence that we can do anything to reverse the graying process either -- just that we can attempt to slow it slightly by increasing our intake of vitamin B-rich foods like leafy green veggies. (Or you can simply embrace the gray the way these celebs do.)
Next: The toll stress is taking on your nails.
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 �
