My face has a mind of its own..😪

Whenever I am stressed, I begin to break out. It works with its own mind because even when I do not think it is a lot of stress, my face serves as my reminder. I just begin to get the message from my face.

I have an oily skin and an acne-prone skin so beyond my skin type constantly letting me deal with pimples, an important cause of this personally is stress.

Acne occurs when hair follicles become clogged with oil and dead skin cells, leading to the formation of pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. While the exact cause of acne is not fully understood, several factors, including genetics, hormonal changes, and certain medications, can contribute to its development.

One of the many reasons I do not like to stress or overwork myself or why I like to consciously control the pressure I might be facing is because I love my face; and having these breakouts are just one saddening.

The bad habit of touching or picking my face, or skin, (which also comes with stress) is a behaviour that a lot of people also exhibit when stressed and can worsen existing acne by opening a wound on your skin, slowing down the healing process or cause new pimples or breakouts to form (by spreading the bacteria to spread to other areas of the face) and eventually leaves dark spots that I now have to attend to…. So exhausting. It is best to avoid picking your face because it can infect the skin which can result in pus filled pimples, cause swelling,  hyperpigmentation(darkening of the skin) and scarring which can now become permanent and difficult to treat.

Stress has a lot of physiological effects and the relationship between stress and acne is quite a strong one because it can either cause the development or exacerbation of acne. When an individual is stressed, the body begins to release cortisol, which is a hormone that stimulates the production of oil in the skin and causing inflammation leading to the formation of acne.

Acne also has its psychological effects and as much as I like to feel like I am unbothered, it can be embarrassing and sometimes also stresses me out and I am sure it is a source of stress to a lot of people and also affect self-esteem. It could even lead to feelings of depression and anxiety.

When I begin to have stress- related acne, I try to identify the stressor, then start trying to cope with some stress management mechanisms. I know that exercises might help but I do not personally work out ..P.S I could be lazy most of the time. I also try to rest so much or then start to offload (by dealing with one thing at a time)

Although I try to deal with the stressor more often, I also could stick to or develop my skincare routine to either reduce the existing ones or prevent new ones.

Overall, while stress alone is not always the primary cause of acne, it can certainly worsen the condition and make it more difficult to manage. If you are experiencing acne, it is important to take steps to manage your stress levels and practice good skincare habits, such as washing your face regularly, using a gentle cleanser, applying sunscreen to protect your skin from further damage and avoiding touching or picking at your skin.

Acne can be difficult to treat at times and can be actually disturbing so I have chosen to enjoy It while it lasts but consciously trying to prevent it.