Our physical appearances have a way of telling how we are which is either a manifestation of good health or sickness or otherwise anything that is just detriment to it. While stress is not considered a sickness but rather the body’s natural response to certain stimuli, it is also a factor that puts a strain to the body, often manifested on the skin.

Why the skin?

Of all our organs, no other part of the human body is more ostensive than the skin. Whether it’s a symptom of allergy such as a rash or a sudden reddish coloration (but not a rash) resulting to the increased supply of blood in the capillaries, the skin reveals our body’s state of health that we ourselves may not be aware of.

But while there are serious skin disorders such as psoriasis, eczema, etc. that arise resulting from the release of stress hormone, cortisol, one most common symptoms of stress aggravating our skin is induced aging.

By “induced aging,” it meant that stress forces out the signals that make us appear older than our best self and even among our peers such as the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, thinning of hair, and even graying out hair strands, if the stressful condition is prolonged enough.

Ever wonder why, therefore, do we looked older when we’re stressed out?

Stress added to the fact that our body goes on a constant state of wear-and-tear daily puts a lot of strain to it which causes our skin to break out and even reducing the body’s ability to heal itself in cases of damage.

Here are other number of ways stress is making you look older than you should be:

1. Under-eye Bags
   Many of us had the notion that the development of under-eye bags—or that fluffy flesh under the eye balls—is but just a natural consequence of late night sleepers and aging. Yet, while stress does indeed play role in the formation of these saggy skin around the eyes, stomach sleepers are also more likely to get them due to the influence of gravity.
2. Dry and Flaky Skin
   Our body is composed mostly of water. But while our insides are indeed watery, the skin may sometimes not be as moist, especially when we’re already dehydrated or several percentage low of water in the body from the threshold. This dilemma is further aggravated when we are stressed.
3. Proliferation of Acne
   Acne may be a common issue among the hormone-raging teens as a result of the overproduction of oil which subsequently clogs the skin’s pores. But stress also has a way of worsening this problem by adding more to the release of oil that, most commonly enough the case, blocks the skin’s tiny pores which breed pimple or a colony of them which is acne.
4. Presence of Allergic Reactions
   When we are stressed, our body goes through haywire resulting from a chemical imbalance which subsequently triggers an allergic reaction to the body. Other reason why the body manifests an allergic reaction is due to the imbalance between the good and the bad bacteria in the gut.

Fixes Against Stress-induced Aging

When you are already at an age where mere natural treatments are no longer cutting your issue against aging, there are scientifically-proven methods that help address its symptoms such as the face lift which counteracts the effects of sagging skin in addition to collagen renewal which is pivotal in the formation of soft tissues such as the multiple layers of our skin.

But, like anything that is good for the healthy—that is, promotes health, a healthy lifestyle truly goes a long way in maintaining our youthful-looking skin for long. So, sleep well, rest well, eat and drink right while also remaining active throughout your life.