De-Stressing Your Skin For a Younger Look

Want to know how reducing stress can make you look younger?

While some stress is a good thing, too much stress is definitely not, and can have seriously negative consequences for your health. But one of the most telling signs that you have too much stress in your life is that your skin has begun to age prematurely.

Excessive stress can cause a host of skin problems, from a complexion which is too dull, too dry, or too oily, to the appearance of those dreaded fine lines and wrinkles. If you have any of these problems on a chronic basis, it may be time to examine your lifestyle and eliminate whatever stresses you can.

While you may handle stress quite well mentally, you really have no control over what it does to your physiological processes. Your body will automatically produce elevated levels of adrenaline when you are under stress, because adrenaline is what prepares you for the fight-or-flight response. Your heart rate will increase, as will your respiration and metabolism. All of those responses are necessary in order for you to escape danger.

Your stress response is part of your body's survival mechanism, and is a great thing to have unless it is being triggered unnecessarily. You can avoid the negative effects of having your stress response over stimulated by learning various relaxation techniques, including Yoga and meditation. An out-of-control stress response will age your from the inside out!

How can too much stress harm your skin?

1. All that extra adrenaline will cause the blood to flow away from the capillaries which feed your skin, so that it can provide oxygen and nutrients to the muscles you need to fight or flee from the threat. Chronic stress will mean that your skin becomes undernourished and develops a washed-out appearance.

2. If you are feeling any sort of strong emotion, whether it be anger, fear, sadness, or excitement, your body will respond with a flood of hormones and enzymes which tell your skin to gear up its production of sebum, the oily substance which can clog your pores and lead to a breakout of pimples.

3. Ongoing stress will cause chronic muscular tension, further inhibiting blood circulation to the skin, and allowing toxins to accumulate in the skin tissues so that they age prematurely.

Because of this, it is more difficult for the healthy new layers of skin cells to work their way to the surface, when the older dead cells are not sloughed away as quickly as usual. You will end up with dull lifeless complexion which adds years to your appearance.

4. Continuing stress increases your body's production of cortisol, which weakens the immune system and removes your skin's defenses against environmental toxins. You will end up with a dead, grayish, and old complexion.

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