You are how you feel

Stress seems to be rather common now – and while in stress, if you are asked something like, “How are you feeling?”, you don’t really know how to answer that simple question!  What really matters is, not the stress, but how we handle it.

“Psychodermatology is a field that addresses the impact of an individual’s emotion as it relates to the skin. Take for example, acne. When you are tense, your body releases stress hormones, including cortisol, which may increase the skin’s oil production, making you prone to pimples. In some autoimmune diseases such as alopecia (hair loss) and vitiligo, scientists have discovered that a stressful event can trigger the autoimmune reaction,” explains Dr Chytra V. Anand, founder and CEO Kosmoderma Skin & Hair Clinics.

Stress causes a chemical response in body that makes the skin more sensitive and reactive. It can also make it harder for skin problems to heal. She says, “Stress can worsen skin problems like psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema. Stress can also cause hives and other types of skin rashes and trigger a flare of fever blisters.

One may also suffer hair loss, a dry itchy scalp, eczema and psoriasis flares- up on the scalp due to stress.”

Stress plays a very important role in how you feel, which indirectly affect your skin and hair. So, it’s important to cure the root cause before we address certain types of skin and hair issues.

Dr Chytra says, “The best way to feel that you’re in good physical health is to undertake healthy behaviour. Change your environment to reduce stress, relax when you’re under pressure, and cope when there’s nothing you can do about the situation.”

Stress Plays Havoc!

• Lack of sleep, dehydration and junk food cravings often go hand-in-hand with stress, which also trickles down to poor hair and skin health.  
• Stress can weaken overall skin and hair health. Stress can interrupt sleep patterns — a key component for skin and body repair.
• Stress promotes skin irritants. Chronic stress deprives your skin of oxygen and essential nutrients —and without adequate amounts of them, you get skin conditions like acne.
• Stress dries out everything. The negative effects of stress can present themselves on the skin with extreme dehydration that results in inflammation, hyperpigmentation, dullness and acne and gives you wrinkles, too.
• Sometimes severe stress can lead to formation of nasty habits like hair twirling or twisting or nail biting, which become almost subconscious causing damage to your skin and hair.
• Stress causes hair loss. With stress, blood vessels begin to constrict, and hair follicles are deprived of oxygen, minerals, and vitamins that it needs for healthy hair growth. In extreme cases, patients start to suffer from ailments such as Alopecia and Psoriasis, both of whichcontribute to weak and fragile hair that breaks easily.