We live in a world with unavoidable stress triggers -- From an urgent text of the boss to the inevitable worldwide pandemic. Stress can get to the best of us and since there is no way to avoid most of the stressful situations, the best we can do is learn how to deal with it.
Because if you don’t, signs of stress can eventually show up on your skin, hair, and nails, and affect your looks as well.
Here are some ways stress affects your appearance all the way from you head to toe.
1- Under eye bags
Eyes are the windows to one’s soul. When the soul is stressed, the eyes let it show. Stress leads to loss of sleep and anxiety in most people. Red eyes, fine lines in the periphery of the eye socket, and dry eyelids are only some of the many issues that you can face due to stress.
Simple homemade packs and non invasive makeup can help cover these up. However, nothing can offset the deep under eye bags that stress causes. These are more often than not permanent, and no amount of makeup can take them away that easily.
2- Hair thinning and falling
Hair is always the first thing to get affected when your stress levels increase. Stress can cause hair to get dry, brittle, and weak. You may also suffer from dandruff because of dryness and breakages can eventually increase due to lack of moisture. As the hair loses lustre and buoyancy, it starts falling from the roots as well, causing hair to thin.
3- Skin problems
The skin can get affected by stress in different ways for different people. While some can develop acne due to increased oil production, others might have it much worse with cystic acne due to dirt that gets trapped under the surface of the skin. Inflammations and irritations on the skin can also increase because of stress hormones which can directly lead to fine lines and wrinkles.
Stress often causes people to forget little things like drinking water and eating right. This can lead to the skin becoming dry, making it susceptible to rashes and flakiness. Pigmentation and dry patches on skin are also often caused by stress.
4- Deep grooves in the nails
Nails start looking unhealthy immediately as stress levels go up. The nail beds become discolored and are no longer a healthy pink. Over time the nails can even develop grooves or ridges on them causing the surface to be uneven and rough. You might also notice your nails turning a pale yellow, and the cuticles starting to loosen up.
In conclusion
One must maintain a healthy diet and adapt a lifestyle that enables them to combat stress, may it be via meditating, or stress busting activities like working out or even cooking. Finding the little escapes that allow you to break the cycle, and making sure you have proper nutrition are what allows the body to fight stress and its many terrible effects on your appearance.
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Authored By:
Robin Chopra
Founder, Detoxie (India's first brand focussed on skincare solutions for urban stress and pollution)
Follow on Insta: http://www.instagram.com/dtoxie.life
Website: http://www.detoxie.in
