Mind-Skin Connection: How Your Emotions Affect Your Skin

It’s not a mystery that our skin shows everything that has been going on with our body and mind. Many diseases display warning signs on the skin.

The same goes for the stress, which affects our whole body but has an especially profound impact on our skin.

The phrase “flush with anger or embarrassment” clearly describes that every emotion can be read from our skin. But it’s not only temporary anger and embarrassment that affect our skin. As everyday stress is piling up, it inevitably takes a toll on our skin, and its effects can be long-term and quite unpleasant.

Mens Sana in Corpore Sano

Or is it the other way round? There’s no sound body without a balanced and calm mind. Stress is the malady of the new age. Our daily chores and dog-eat-dog world rules finally get the upper hand resulting in feelings of anxiety, depression, or panic attacks. When the constant stress sets in, it slowly starts crumbling the immune system.

Numerous persistent skin disorders such as psoriasis, vitiligo (which are autoimmune diseases), eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, shingles, acne, or rosacea lie dormant in the affected body, and they are aggravated by the weakened immune system. One of the main culprits for that is, as you guess, the stress. 

The truth is that stress and other negative emotional states don’t directly cause those disorders, but they usually trigger flare-ups.

Hormonal Mishmash

When you’re stressed, your body produces hormones that lead to poor circulation in the skin, so the nerves there become irritated which result in inflammations and allergic reactions. On the other hand, stress negatively affects the production of moisturizing and plumping lipids that are beneficial for the skin, and that is manifested in a dull and dry skin which heals very slowly.

Stress also affects hormones and lead to their imbalance, which in turn causes overproduction of sebum. Experts from Ultraceuticals explain that this oily substance clogs up pores and contributes to acne formation.

Treating acne, eczema, psoriasis (a common skin condition that speeds up the life cycle of skin cells), or even simple pimples as purely dermatological issues won’t heal them. What it takes is a combination of dermatological and spiritual remedies to soothe the ailing mind and skin. No wonder that there’s a field of medicine called Psychodermatology – a subspecialty of dermatology that is trying to offer psychological treatment for skin disorders.

Kicking Bad Habits

Once you’ve established that the stress is to blame for most of your skin problems, it’s time to do something about it. Of course, you shouldn’t neglect other bad influences that your body is exposed to – excessive carb intake, alcohol, fast food, smoking, or lack of sleep. An unhealthy lifestyle also damages your skin to a great extent.

First of all, you can start by getting rid of your bad habits. Easier said than done, but if you know it’s your skin and beauty that’s at stake, you may think twice before lighting another cigarette or staying up late.

Don’t Eat Your Heart Out

Avoiding inflammatory foods such as dairy and gluten is essential. Still, many people don’t eat because they’re hungry. It’s so-called stress-eating and that’s how you can end up in an endless loop of bad eating habits. After a hard day at work, nothing can better lift one’s spirits than a juicy burger with some chips, and a big slice of chocolate cake, right?

Comfort food has its benefits, but if you turn to it frequently, your skin (as well as your weight) will react. Increase your superfood intake instead, and make sure that your pantry is always packed with avocado, blueberries, kale, broccoli, or various kinds of nuts. This food will reduce your sugar cravings, and improve your overall health, including your skin.

Take a Deep Breath

Relaxation is a must when it comes to stress-related issues. You can start with some simple exercises that don’t take up much time, and gradually introduce more complex practices. Meditation is one of the most powerful techniques for balancing your body and mind.

Getting in touch with your inner self and establishing a meaningful connection that has been lost over time, is vital in conquering depression, anxiety, and stress.

Those conditions are nothing more than the consequences of lost connection with our inner being, and meditation is an amazing way of finding your inner peace.

It’s very important to make sure that you have a regular daily routine, meaning that you should make a schedule that you’ll stick to – when to eat, when to work, when to relax and when to go to bed. You need to find time for yourself every day and clear your mind from all negative external influences that suffocate your soul.

Healing starts with reconnecting with your soul and learning to love yourself again. This is crucial in overcoming the turmoil of everyday existence. The combination of relaxation and meditation techniques, accompanied by a healthy lifestyle can heal your mind and make your skin impeccable and radiant.