The number of ways in which ‘stress’ can affect you physically and mentally is an endless scroll—if only that would reduce the number of things we stress about. And if that wasn’t enough, it can also be the reason you sometimes wake up to a tiny, half-formed but thriving pimple waiting to pop. You pass it off as one of those recurring curve balls thrown at you by your beloved hormones. You forget that the previous night you stayed up late, because you had to meet a swooshing deadline but mostly because of the anxiety of whether you’d be able to meet it at the finishing line in time. And that could be why you woke up like this (read: with a zit).
Blame it on the cortisol. “Cortisol is a hormone that is released in our bodies when it senses stress. When stress hits, cortisol levels spike up,” explains Dr Mona Gohara, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. “Cortisol leads to more oil production, clogged pores, and the accumulation of acne forming bacteria. A few nights of no sleep and *pow*, pimples!”
When stress-induced cortisol production increases, it escalates the production of sebum as part of the skin's natural immune response. p.acnes, the bacteria that can cause acne, feeds off of this sebum and therefore catalyses an immune system response. White blood cells that rush to help can damage the wall of the follicle, releasing its contents up and causing an inflammatory pimple.
“Acne is the byproduct of many occurrences, caused by hormonal triggers, friction from athletic gears/clothes, protective masks (maskne), too many, or too harsh skin care products, or certain foods that have a high glycemic index,” confirms Dr Gohara. So how do you differentiate between all that and stress acne? By paying more attention to what your body is telling you, “If someone does not generally break out, but then ‘all of a sudden’ begins to notice acne after a stressful event, lack of sleep, intense work or school situation, relationship drama, that is usually stress acne. Period pimples, or other more consistent breakouts are usually not stress related,” explains Dr Gohara.
Stress pimples will usually pop up in the oiliest areas of the face, like the forehead, nose and chin. Your T-zone might look greasier and more congested too. Doctors say that if you're getting clusters of pimples all at once, stress can be a factor—hormonal pimples happen one at a time.
