Connection Between Skin, Hair, and Stress
Stress can lead to many effects on your body. We all know that it can wreak havoc on our emotional state, but what about our skin and hair? Here are a few ways your appearance may suffer if your stress levels are high.
Hair Loss
Telogen effluvium, in which stress pushes large numbers of hair follicles into a resting phase. This can result in losing affected hairs when combing or washing.
Trichotillomania, which is an irresistible urge to pull hair from the scalp, eyebrows, or other areas of the body as a way of dealing with feelings of stress, tension, etc.
Alopecia areata, which is caused by a variety of factors, one of which could be severe stress. With alopecia areata, the body’s immune system attacks the hair follicles causing hair loss.
Dulling of Shine
Stress can lead to sleepless nights, unhealthy food binges, and dehydration. All these things can deter healthy skin and hair, and one way they’ll suffer is by becoming dull and devoid of luster. Plus, potential stress-induced dehydration can result in parched skin. This leads to issues ranging from inflammation and hyperpigmentation to acne.
Under-Eye Bags
Apart from dull, inflamed skin, the sleepless nights that accompany stress can cause fluid to pool under your eyes. This results in puffy bags which cause you to look anything but well rested.
Premature Aging
To avoid premature aging, it’s a good idea to keep your stress levels in check. Chemicals produced during stress raise your pulse rates and constrict blood vessels. This directs blood away from the skin, and toward other organs, resulting in tense muscles that begin to form wrinkles.
Stress Hives
If your stress reaches super-high levels, you might get something known as stress hives. The red, raised rash develops due to chronic stress, and can burn, sting, or itch. Once stress levels have reduced, the hives typically go away on their own. However, check with your doctor to get to the root of your chronic stress.
As if damage to your hair and skin wasn’t enough (not to mention the serious psychological and physical harm stress can cause), it can also do damage to your nails. Horizontal grooves and ridges on your nails are called Beau’s lines and can appear when stress compromises your body. Beau’s lines can indicate something more serious and should be checked by a doctor.
