24 May Are spots a sign of stress?

You may have heard people say that spots are a sign of stress. But is it true?

Many of us will suffer from spots or acne at some point. Although often considered something that affects teens, spots can in fact appear at any age and for some people can mean the odd pimple here or there, while for others, it can be severe.

Are spots a sign of stress?

The answer to isn’t completely straightforward.

Research suggests stress does not directly cause acne. Spots are caused when hair follicles become blocked. However, if you already suffer with a skin condition such as acne, stress will usually make it worse.

There are several reasons why we are more likely to suffer from breakouts, pimples and spots when we’re stressed:

The impact of cortisol

The hormone Cortisol is a vital component of the body’s fight-or-flight response system. When we’re stressed, our bodies release cortisol to help us deal with what it perceives as a danger.

However, this isn’t always great news for our skin.

Cortisol is also linked to the skin’s production of oil and of course, those with oily skin are more prone to acne. So, feeling stressed means there is more cortisol in your system making your skin more oily, so in this instance, spots can be a sign of stress.

Added to this, cortisol can alter or shut down the immune system. Spots are caused by bacteria clogging our pores. So, if your immune system isn’t working at full pelt, bacteria are more likely to wreak havoc on your skin.

Skimping on skincare

One of the reasons many of us become stressed is because we’re very busy.

If you’ve got a lot on your plate and are feeling pushed for time, you may not spend as long as usual on your skincare regime and tend to cut corners.

If this is the case, it’s almost inevitable that the odd spot will pop up. Your skin needs to be clean to keep spots at bay, so if you leave traces of make-up or pollution from the day on your skin because you are too rushed to cleanse properly, your skin will let you know it’s not happy.

Stress and spots: It’s a cycle

Unfortunately, it’s easy to fall into a cycle of feeling stressed, getting spots – and then starting to stress about the spots! This means the cycle is going to keep on repeating itself.

As difficult as it may be, try and not to overly focus on the look of your skin. Your appearance does not define you and, in all likelihood, other people probably won’t even notice that you’ve got a few more blemishes than usual.

What can you do to reduce breakouts?

So whilst breakouts and spots are often a sign of stress, stress alone will not cause acne. But, if you suffer from spots already, stress may make the situation worse.

If you want to find out how to get rid of spots, your first step should be to have a re-think about your lifestyle.

• Could you eat a more balanced diet and get more sleep and exercise?
• Are you steering clear of breakout-causing foods?
• It’s also worth making a conscious effort to keep stress in check, not just for the sake of your skin, but also for your overall wellbeing. We’ve got some handy tips to help you keep stress in check here.

You may also find that taking a herbal remedy for stress such as HRI Good Mood St John’s Wort will help to put you back in control and feel less stressed.

Try a herbal remedy to relieve spots

It’s unrealistic to hope to avoid stress completely. There will be stressful periods in your life and you may notice more spots as a result. During such times, HRI Clear Complexion™ may be able to help.

HRI Clear Complexion™ is a licensed herbal medicine used to treat skin conditions including acne. Each tablet contains a unique formulation of Burdock root and Blue Flag rhizome extracts, which combine to deliver symptomatic relief of skin conditions such as spots, pimples, blemishes, mild acne and mild eczema.

If you have a teenager in your life who is suffering breakouts due to stress caused by exams or assessments, HRI Teen Skin can help.

It’s a vegan multivitamin plus premium skin complex designed specifically for teenagers and young adults to help keep their skin nourished and spot-free. It also includes ingredients such as B vitamins, which help to regulate hormone activity and aid energy release, as well as nutrients that help to balance blood sugar levels.

The most important thing to remember when you are feeling stressed is to be kind to yourself as feeling better about yourself starts from within.