Stress Acne_How Does it Differ From Other Breakouts..

Everyone has experienced having acne or any blemish at some point in their lives. Although they’re not ideal, breakouts are a normal part of life. However, during adulthood, you might encounter acne breakouts that have an underlying cause beyond clogged pores. Some causes can include hormones and stress. If you happen to experience repeated breakouts, these can be the reasons. In this article, we will discuss what stress acne is and how they differ from other types of breakouts.

Stress Acne

When you are stressed, your stress hormones increase and trigger your oil glands, causing them to produce more sebum. As a result, acne flares can happen. Hormones work in the same way, with the only difference lying in the timing.

Those who experience breakouts during their period are most likely having hormonal acne rather than stress acne. Hormonal changes, usually a spike in androgen levels, have a similar effect on oil glands. Fortunately, you can differentiate between the two. All you need to figure out is what triggers your acne. For example, you can track whether you experience breakouts after feeling stressed for some time instead of when you have your menstrual cycles.

Stress acne usually appears in various places. If you happen to experience breakouts around the same area at the same time every month, you can generally tell that it’s because of your menstrual cycle instead of your stress levels. This is even more applicable if the acne turns into painful cysts and appears on the same spot multiple times. There are instances when they become severely chronic because of the days’ or weeks’ worth of sebum accumulation.

On the other hand, stress acne usually appears on the oiliest parts of your face, such as the T-zone. In such instances, the acne is often accompanied by shininess, dilated pores, whiteheads, blackheads, and grainy skin. You don’t usually encounter these symptoms with regular acne.

What Causes Stress Acne and How to Prevent It

Although stress acne is caused by stress, there’s something deeper underlying that. When you’re experiencing emotional stress, you will experience an increase in the production of cortisol, the stress hormone. When there’s a spike in cortisol in your body, you will experience a systemic response that can potentially alter your immune system responses. It can also suppress the reproductive system, digestive system, and growth processes.

Cortisol plays a significant role in stress acne. When your cortisol levels increase, they affect the hormones that regulate sebum balance. As a result, your pores get clogged, and acne develops. Essentially, when your body produces more oil, your pores will get clogged easily. When that happens, you will experience more breakouts.

Since cortisol is involved in stress acne, we can also tap into hormonal acne. Although the former doesn’t appear at the beginning of your menstrual cycle, it does show up because your body experiences an alteration of regularly scheduled hormonal patterns. People under a lot of stress can experience hormonal changes that aggravate their acne.

Stress acne can happen to anyone at any time, regardless of their age. Adults usually experience them because of stress at home or work. On the other hand, younger adults typically get them because of stress at school. However, you can address these issues without much fuss with the right skincare products and self-care.

Conclusion

Stress acne can happen to anyone at any age. Although they’re inevitable and can appear anytime, you can combat them through a proper skincare routine. With the help of an effective hydrating facial cleanser, you can keep stress acne at bay.

Beauty Rehab RX offers a hydrating cleanser that works wonderfully for people of all skin types, including sensitive skin. Our Facial Deep Cleanser can wash away any pore-clogging sebum, dirt, makeup, dead skin cells, and other buildups without irritating your skin. If you are interested in purchasing our skincare products, particularly our hydrating cleanser, contact us today.