Hi lovelies,
From work pressure to personal struggles, stress is an inevitable - if unwelcome - part of life. While occasional stress may be all well and good to manage, chronic stress can affect both your health and your beauty. Sometimes, that is a visible attack on the body, and other times it’s not so visible as the stress internalises.
Our bodies can cope with short-term stress, and it does every single day, but prolonged stress can lead to a range of physical challenges as well as emotional ones. Stress can do damage to your hair and skin, so let’s go into how your health and beauty can show off the stress you’re feeling.
Stress and hair loss.
Hair is often the first area attacked by stress when life gets too much. Hair loss due to stress is exceptionally common, and while it can be temporary, it can be permanent in extreme cases. One of the most significant effects on hair health is known as telogen effluvium, a condition where the body experiences emotional shock. From here, hair follicles - in their numbers - enter the shedding phase prematurely. Stress-related hair loss can be particularly distressing, especially if you struggle with your appearance in any way. In case of extreme hair loss that isn’t growing back as quickly as you’d like, natural hair u part wig are a popular solution.
These wigs are designed to offer a natural look without the need for chemical treatments for excessive heat. For those who are dealing with hair thinning or extreme loss, it provides a non-permanent solution while you wait for it all to grow back. Hair replacements such as these wigs can offer a solution but it’s essential to address the root causes.
Stress and the immune system
Chronic stress has a heavy impact on the immune system, and it’s been known for making you more susceptible to infections and illness. When the body is stressed, higher levels of cortisol are produced anad the hormone responsible for fight or flight is triggered. Prolonged cortisol exposure can suppress white blood cell function, making your immune system more vulnerable to attack. As a result, stressed individuals tend to come down with colds and respiratory illnesses more frequently, and the compromised immune response also affects the skin. No one wants to be vulnerable to acne breakouts and wounds, right?
Stress and your heart
Stress is one of the known contributors to heart disease and other cardiovascular issues. When you feel stressed, your heart rate speeds up and your blood pressure starts to go up, too. When stress sets in, adrenaline runs rampant and while it’s a natural response, prolonged stress on the heart can cause damage to the heart itself and the surrounding blood vessels. There are studies that show that too much stress can lead to your heart failing altogether, so that’s something to consider if you’re watching the stress build on life.
No one wants to worry about stress leading to fatty deposits building up in the heart, or strokes. It’s a critical consideration to make when you’re feeling stressed - how it can affect the heart - because it affects your behavior, too. Smoking and drinking and overeating all increase when stressed, and all of this can hurt your heart, too! So, it’s not just about the impact of adrenaline, but about how your stress causes other issues.
Stress and digestion
Stress has a huge impact on your gut health. If you’ve ever heard the term ‘bowels turned liquid’, there you go. The connection between the brain and the gut often means that emotional stress can impact the gastrointestinal function severely. Those who deal with chronic stress in their daily life often deal with conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, reflux and constipation. Bloating and diarrhea are also factors to consider, as when stressed, the digestive system tends to either speed up or slow down. Stress can also disrupt the balance of good bacteria in the system, and this leads to nutrient absorption and mental health. It’s all encompassing!
Stress and sleep
Sleep quality is so important, but stress can impact it and stop you from resting. The mind and body’s constant activation during stressful periods can make it very difficult to relax and unwind, and that prevents you from sleeping. Insomnia, trouble falling asleep and poor quality sleep can exacerbate other health issues, too, including fatigue and memory issues. Insufficient sleep can also cause issues with your skin (which we’re about to go into), and that contributes to you looking as stressed as you feel. Over time, a lack of restorative sleep can wake your skin and its ability to regenerate properly.
Stress and your skin
Your skin, as we mentioned, can be impacted pretty hard by stress in your body. Stress hormones affect your internal health but you’ll certainly wear it on your skin if you are overly stressed, too. Your skin is a direct reflection of your health and it doesn't have to be that way. So, here’s how your skin is affected by stress levels:
Acne and breakouts
One of the most common skin issues is acne and stress triggers it in a BIG way. Stress stimulates cortisol production and that revs up the oil production in your skin. When excess oil mixes with all of the dirt and dead skin cells, pores become clogged up pretty quickly and breakouts occur as a result. The hormones can also cause further inflammation in the skin and make acne more persistent. Chronic stress can also cause other skin issues like psoriasis and eczema, which can lead to inflamed patches of skin that are unsightly and uncomfortable.
Aging too fast
Premature aging is not the one, really. Stress, however, has the power to accelerate the aging process. Cortisol (that lovely stress hormone we keep mentioning) breaks down collagen and your skin stops looking so youthful and beautiful. That can be changed, however, by reducing your stress levels. You want your skin to retain moisture and stay bright and supple and it’s much easier to do this when you overcome the stress. Dry, dull and flaky skin isn’t the one and you can see stress aging you too fast when it’s too much.
Sensitive skin
Stress can also cause your skin to become more reactive and sensitive, with redness and irritation a new theme that could have been avoided. People with conditions like rosacea or other forms of dermatitis often notice that stress affects their symptoms in a way that causes more discomfort.
Stress and your emotions
Stress takes a toll on your emotional wellbeing as much as your physical health. When your emotional health is impacted negatively, you could find that you feel more anxious and depressed than before. With a general decline in self esteem, you end up feeling mentally overwhelmed and it’s something that could have been avoided. This can lead to neglecting your emotional health and that creates a negative feedback loop. Given how profoundly stress an affect both internal and external health, managing the stress itself is essential and here’s how you can do it:
Exercise
Moving your body with regular physical activity can help you to reduce stress. Releasing endorphins and natural chemicals that improve your mood come from directly moving - yoga, walking, running, swimming - any exercise will do!
Relaxation
Practicing mindfulness and meditation can help you to reduce the stress levels in your body. Exercise can help you to calm the mind and reduce your stress, and slow breathing can help you to stay in the present moment and manage constant worry. Stress is upsetting, so finding activities to relax can be helpful.
A sleep timetable
Ensuring that you get a good night of sleep is critical to reduce stress, which isn't easy when stress is causing insomnia and all manner of issues. A good night of sleep can help the body recover and repair. You can then watch your hair and skin repair easily.
Diet
A balanced diet rich in fruit and veggies - along with lean proteins - can help you to feel more supported. Your body can handle stress, but you need to feed it things to keep it strong. These minerals and vitamins can help you to have better skin and hair along with better overall health.
Hair health
If stress has caused hair thinning and loss, wigs and other cover ups can help your confidence while you wait for the cycle to stop. Maintaining a good hair care routine with minimal heat exposure can help!
Professional help
If stress becomes too much, talking to a mental health professional can help with valuable support. Therapy and counselling makes all the difference to your mental wellbeing, supporting your emotional health, too.
Stress is a silent enemy, but now you should be well informed as to how to prevent it affecting your health and beauty. Now you can take proactive steps to help you to move forward and reduce your stress hormones.
