The Effects of Stress on Your Skin

Every person in the world faces stress on some level every single day. As the years go on, more and more people are diagnosed every day with severe depression, anxiety, and other stress related problems that hinder our daily lives and effect our personalities. What some people don't realize however, is that these mood affecting problems are harming more then just our self esteem, they're hurting our bodies and our skin.

One of the most frustrating skin problems that women deal with is the appearance of dark circles under the eyes. They can make us look tired and sickly even when we feel just fine. There are easy ways to reduce and lighten these circles; cucumbers, melons, a healthy vitamin intake - but no matter how much effort we put into making them go away, the real solution to this problem lies in preventing it from happening in the first place. Keeping yourself hydrated, well rested, and cheerful can vastly improve the tone of your skin, and even help it stop sagging and wrinkling too early in your life!

Not only are dark circles a product of stress and lack of sleep, but other dark discoloration in our faces can be caused by depression and anxiety as well. If you feel sad, angry, or tired more often than not, odds are your skin tone is blotchy and uneven. It's pretty much impossible for me to tell you to simply "be happy" for healthier skin, because we all face problems that are beyond our control each day that can adversely affect our mood. Premature wrinkles can become a problem if you have a depression related problem, starting with the corners of your eyes and getting progressively worse the more you leave it untreated.

Creases (not wrinkles!) are another common problem that can be directly caused by stress, depression, and anxiety. Creases are folds in your skin that only appear at certain times, like dimples do. If you frown often, or furrow your brow many times a day, you can develop creases in your skin that can throw off the smooth, natural look of your face. Getting rid of creases is difficult, but not as difficult as getting rid of wrinkles. Aloe, olive oil and extract, almond oil, and lavender oil are all great for helping get rid of creases on your skin, but make sure you rinse properly!

Sagging is a difficult stress related skin problem, and it can happen often even in younger faces. Sagging of your facial skin occurs when your skin is not often at it's firmest, say if you spend too much or too little time sleeping, or you spend too much time in the sun. Sagging can also occur from excessive crying, because your tears will puff up your skin, and once it's been puffed up and not properly soothed, it can just start to sag instead. You can help perk up your skin and bring back it's natural firmness with simple, natural things like tomatoes and cucumbers.

To summarize, stress, depression, anxiety, and other mood related issues can have a lasting affect on your skin - especially the skin on your face. We all want to look young and beautiful, so let's start that process by taking care of how we feel on the inside first!

(Source: Stress and Your Skin from Parade)
(Source: Skin Hazards from Pioneer Thinking)