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 �

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

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.

So you thought you were safe from wrinkles because you wear sunscreen? Yeah, not so much. Wrinkles arise from a variety of causes, not the least of which is, you guessed it, stress.

Get this. A 2001 study conducted at the University of California, San Francisco revealed that when cells are exposed to chronic stress they age more quickly. And, of course, cellular aging is what makes skin less elastic and supple thus leading to premature sagging and wrinkling.

"When you're stressed your brain releases neuro peptides -- they're free radicals that can damage your cell membranes," says Dr. Murad, drawing the comparison between our skin cells and a grape's skin. "If you put pin pricks into the grape's skin, the water will seep out. Those radicals are essentially the pricks to our skin -- once they're released, they damage the cell membranes so that they lose water."

This water loss or dehydration leads to "fine lines and wrinkles, a sallow tone and maybe even some dark circles around your eyes because it also affects circulation."

Hydration is so important that at Murad's flagship medical spa in El Segundo, Calif. they offer an "intracellular water test" to determine levels of moisture deep within the skin. From there, a personalized plan to increase a cell's ability to hold water is formulated.

Next: How to manage wrinkles

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.