10 Negative Effects of Stress on Your Appearance

Did you know that lots of the conditions that affect how you look are stress-related? It's important to control the possible triggers of stress to keep them from damaging your appearance

Stress is a feeling of physical and emotional tension that comes from situations of frustration, anger, or nervousness, among others things. In small amounts, stress is normal and positive because it can help you avoid dangerous or bad situations. But generally, stress has negative effects on all kinds of things, and it can keep you from having a healthy life.

Although it tends to manifest itself through a series of negative emotions, stress also causes noticeable physical symptoms that are hard to treat.

Due to the increase in hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, your body undergoes changes to both your health and beauty.

Your skin, in particular, tends to undergo changes that can affect your face and body as a whole. Find out more about these negative effects of stress on your appearance!

10 negative effects of stress on your appearance

1. Bags under the eyes

Worrying, problems with your partner, having an endless number of things on your to-do list…these can all reduce the quality of your sleep and lead to these unsightly bags.

They make your skin and eyes look old and tired, and they’re a clear sign of fluid retention.

2. Dry skin

The tension caused by stress can also have a negative effect on your skin’s hydration. If you don’t address this it can affect your desire to drink water and increase your tendency to have coffee or sodas instead.

The main problem here is that your body needs a healthy intake of water to stay hydrated and keep your skin well oxygenated.

3. Acne

The release of cortisol creates a hormonal imbalance that manifests itself through acne breakouts and changes in both your face and other areas of the body.

Stress can also alter the microbial flora in your intestines, which plays an important role in the your skin’s health.

4. Rash and uticaria

Rashes and hives are caused by an imbalance in the intestines known as dysbiosis.

This happens when bad bacteria colonize your intestines and inhibit the good microbes that protect your health.

5. Excessive hair loss

This disorder disrupts hair follicle growth and causes them to weaken, leading to hair loss.

6. Premature wrinkles

If you don’t try to reduce the stress in your life, you’ll produce an excess of cortisol. That will trigger things like high blood pressure, weight gain, and the loss of collagen.

That last effect makes your skin less elastic and you can lead to premature wrinkles in areas like the face, neck, and hands.

7. Gray hair

You can reduce these negative effects by consuming biotin, protein, and vitamin E. These all help keep your hair strong and youthful 

8. Lines on the fingernails

The appearance of vertical lines on your fingernails is a fairly common part of the natural aging process, or a sign of a nutritional deficiency.

But if they go from the cuticle to the tip of the nail, it’s a clear sign that stress is having an effect on your body.

9. Blisters on your hands

It’s actually a topical disease called deshidrosis, which has a strong link to prolonged periods of stress.

10. Unprotected skin

Skin that’s under stress is also more vulnerable to irritation and infections that can affect its overall health. A lack of control can increase the risk of fungi, superficial burns, skin spots, and other blemishes that make it look much older.

Beyond just being an emotional state, stress also has all kinds of physical effects. Some of them are things you probably never would have imagined.

There are cosmetic products that can reduce and reverse these things, but it’s important to get to the root of the problem if you want to keep the negative effects of stress on your appearance from going too far.