10 Effects of Stress on Your Face, and How to Lower Anxiety

Chronic stress can show on your face in two ways. First, the hormones that your body releases when you feel stress can lead to physiological changes that negatively impact your skin. Second, feeling stressed may also lead to bad habits such as grinding your teeth or biting your lips.

Read on to learn more about the specific ways stress may show on your face.

Acne

When you feel stressed, your body produces more of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol causes a part of your brain known as the hypothalamus to produce a hormone called corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH). CRH is thought to stimulate oil release from sebaceous glands around your hair follicles. Excessive oil production by these glands can clog your pores and lead to acne.

Although it’s widely believed that stress causes acne, there are only a few studies that have examined the connection.

A 2017 study looked at the effect of stress on acne in female medical students between the ages of 22 to 24. The researchers found that higher levels of stress positively correlated with acne severity.

A 2011 South Korean epidemiological study examined potential acne aggravating factors in 1,236 people. They found that stress, lack of sleep, alcohol consumption, and menstruation can potentially make acne worse.

Bags under your eyes

Bags under the eyes are characterized by swelling or puffiness beneath your eyelids. They become more common with age since the supporting muscles around your eyes weaken. Sagging skin caused by a loss of elasticity can also contribute to eye bags.

Research has found that stress caused by sleep deprivation increases signs of aging, such as fine lines, reduced elasticity, and uneven pigmentation. The loss of skin elasticity may also contribute to the formation of bags under your eyes.

Dry skin

The stratum corneum is the outer layer of your skin. It contains protein and lipids that play a critical role in keeping your skin cells hydrated. It also acts as a barrier that protects the skin underneath. When your stratum corneum isn’t working the way it should, your skin can become dry and itchy.

According to a 2014 review published in Inflammation & Allergy Drug Targets, a pair of studies performed on mice found that stress impairs the barrier function of your stratum corneum and may negatively affect skin water retention.

The review also mentions that several human studies have found that interview stress and stress from “marital disruption” can slow down the skin barrier’s ability to heal itself, too.

Rashes

Stress has the potential to weaken your immune system. A weakened immune system can lead to an imbalance of bacteria in your gut and skin known as dysbiosis. When this imbalance occurs on your skin, it can lead to redness or a rash.

Stress is known to trigger or aggravate several conditions that may cause rashes or inflamed skin, such as psoriasis, eczema, and contact dermatitis.

Wrinkles

Stress causes changes to the proteins in your skin and reduces its elasticity. This loss of elasticity can contribute to wrinkle formation.

Stress may also lead to repeated furrowing of your brow that may also contribute to the formation of wrinkles.

Graying hair and hair loss

Common wisdom says stress can make your hair go gray. However, it’s only recently that scientists have figured out why. Cells called melanocytes produce a pigment called melanin that gives your hair its color.

A 2020 study published in Nature found that sympathetic nervous activity from stress can cause the stem cells that create melanocytes to disappear. Once these cells disappear, new cells lose their color and turn gray.

Chronic stress can also disrupt your hair’s growing cycle and lead to a condition called telogen effluvium. Telogen effluvium causes a larger than normal amount of hair to fall out.

Other ways stress affects your face

Other ways stress can affect your face include:

• Tooth damage. Many people adopt the habit of teeth grinding when they feel stressed or anxious. Over time, this can cause permanent damage to your teeth.
• Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD). TMD is a group of health problems that affect the joint where your jaw connects to your skull. It can be caused by repeated clenching of your teeth.
• Face flushing. Stress can cause you to change your breathing habits. These breathing habits can cause your face to flush temporarily.
• Sore lips. Many people chew their lips or the inside of their mouths when they feel stressed.