Is your skin breaking out even more than before? Is your hair fall problem not getting any better?

While we expected the lockdown to help detoxify and rejuvenate our skin and hair (by staying indoors and protecting them from outside dust and pollution), we continue to face daily skin and hair problems. 

One of the main reasons for this is STRESS. The COVID-19 outbreak is surely a stressful event. Besides having a negative impact on our mental and physical health, on-going pandemic stress can aggravate existing skin and hair conditions such as acne, spots, eczema, and hair fall.

Effects of stress on the skin:

Stress can be considered as a triggering/perpetuating/aggravating factor for various skin diseases. Some of the common skin conditions caused as a result of stress are:

  • Dryness: Periods of chronic stress releases the hormone called cortisol, which in turn damages the skin’s ability to retain water leading to dryness. 

  • Fine lines: Constant use of the muscles of facial expression, like frowning, when one is stressed or angry can lead to deeper wrinkles over time.      

  • Acne: The cells that produce sebum (an oily secretion of the sebaceous glands) have receptors for stress hormones. During periods of stress, sebum mixes with dead skin cells and bacteria to clog the hair follicles, leading to a pimple or acne cyst.

  • Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune skin disorder, leading to red, rough hard patches surmounted with silvery scales, commonly seen on elbows, knees, palms, soles, nails and/or scalp. Stress is a well-known trigger factor for psoriasis. 

Effects of stress on the hair:

  • Greying of hair is common due to stress but yet the exact cause remains unknown. 

  • Alopecia areata is another condition that is aggravated by stress. In this condition, there are circular circumscribed patches of hair loss commonly on the scalp or beard areas. 

Besides stress, lack of physical activity, lack of exposure to sunlight, and no set routine to eat and sleep during these times could be other reasons for continued skin and hair problems. Reach out to your dermatologist and seek timely medical advice to make sure your skin and hair health hair is unaltered!

Stay Home, Stay Safe, Stay Beautiful, Stay Healthy!