Stress and Aging Skin
Hello again friends! I’m so glad to be writing again after a 12-week, much-needed, pause from these blogs. This past summer has carried with it some additional life stressors for my family so I took a break from weekly writings. It’s been four years since I started these (mostly) weekly blogs and they have become a significant part of my practice. As a lover of knowledge and study, these writings are an offering and opportunity for me to share information that is relevant to health and aesthetics. The content is inspired from my experience with you and the questions and cases that come up. The field of medicine and aesthetics is ever-changing and this is a platform where we can stay up to date on the latest and greatest information so we can live our healthiest, most confident selves.
When our cup’s overfloweth with life, it’s important to recognize when to take a step back. This is because excess stress LITERALLY ages us. Each of our cells contains a sac-like structure called a nucleus which carries our genetic information in the form of chromosomes. Chromosomes are made of tightly packed strands of DNA which ultimately dictate what happens to that cell; whether it replicates or dies. Chromosomes are capped by TELOMERES, and as we mature telomeres shorten. Telomeres can be measured, and the shorter they become, the closer that cell comes to death (1). Exposure to chronic stress leads to the shortening of telomeres within the cell (2)! Therefore, excess stress brings a cell closer to death. Further, chronic stress causes Inflammation and this further potentiates premature aging (AKA inflammAGING) (3).
The skin does not like excessive stress. When our brain perceives stress, whether it is a bear encounter in the wild or a tight deadline for work, there begins a cascade of chemicals and hormones the body releases that are designed to help you survive. When we are actually in the wild, this is helpful; however in modern day and in industrialized cultures like ours, constant and perceived stress is not functional and may turn pathological.
The skin responds-to and produces stress hormones and is intricately involved in our nervous system and stress response. This process is supported by the fact that stress may exacerbate skin pathologies like psoriasis, eczema, acne, and itch. Stress is also connected to accelerated skin aging like the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. Why this happens is a bit elusive but we do know that these potent stress chemicals negatively impact our skin cell’s life cycle (4).
There is ample research showing ways we can reduce the amount of stress hormone in the body.
Here are 5 proven strategies for mitigating stress (5):
-Focus on positive characteristics/meditate with positive mantras
-Make art and music
-Practice Mindfulness
-Yoga
-Engage with nature and/or exercise
The strategies for lowering stress always seem too simple to me in our not-so-simple lives but the science is there. I challenge us all to do a bit of simplicity; our body’s will thank us.
Thanks for reading.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30779012/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32645916/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24011311/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4082169/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32204833/