The Surprising Signs Your Skin Is Too Stressed Out

When we're stressed everything feels just off. And this includes our skin. In a dream world, we would wake up everyday with skin that is unmarked, bright, and illuminating with dewiness. In the real world, we wake up with looming deadlines, traffic, sickness, and to-do lists. All this stress is wreaking havoc on our skin. That's right. Our skin could be paying the price for the pressure we put on ourselves by showing signs of stress too. Here are some of the indicators to look out for.

Can you think of the last person you met who was incredibly stressed and thought, "wow, their skin is just glowing?" Probably not. Skin dullness is a sign of stress (via Ogee). Another sign that we may have a lot on our minds is tired eyes. If you have been losing sleep over your thoughts, then you may also be dealing with dark, swollen circles around your eyes (per Allure). We do wish we could just wear sunglasses all day, a la Anna Wintour, but unfortunately, the masses can't seem to get behind this trend.

As if the unwelcome side effects of dull skin and tired eyes aren't enough to make us want to do nothing but meditate for the next three weeks, it is also reported that stress can cause flare-ups of pre-existing conditions. Abigail Waldman, a dermatologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston explains that if your eczema is acting up or perhaps your psoriasis seems worse than usual, this could be stress-induced. Waldman explains, "it's all interconnected in that stress and anxiety can impact skin conditions, and having skin issues can lead to anxiety and negatively affect someone" (per Allure). The relationship between skin and stress appears to be a bit or a merry-go-round. But not like the one we remember riding on growing up.

Last and certainly not our most favorite, acne, has made the list of signs that our skin may be stressed. Lisa A. Garner, MD, FAAD, a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center shares, "when you already have acne and you get into a stressful situation, that seems to be when your acne really flares up" (via WebMD). That explains the pimple that popped up right before a first date and big job interview!