Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsStress Acne CausesOther Acne CausesWho Gets Stress Acne?TreatmentPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Stress Acne Causes
Other Acne Causes
Who Gets Stress Acne?
Treatment
Prevention
Stresshas been associated with acne breakouts. For example, stress can cause your body to make more of the substances that activate the oil glands within the skin.
This article will discuss types of acne, how stress relates to acne, the appearance of stress acne, and how to treat and prevent stress acne breakouts.
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What Does Stress Acne Look Like?
Acne lesions can develop in areas like the forehead, face, chest, back, and shoulders.
While acne from stress may not differ significantly in appearance from other acne, stress can cause acne to heal more slowly, making lesions last longer and become more severe.
Does Stress Cause Acne?
More research is needed to precisely determine how stress and acne are linked, but it is generally believed that stress and acne have a bidirectional relationship. Stress can worsen acne, and acne outbreaks can lead toemotional stress.
Stress can cause the body to produce more androgen hormones. These hormones can stimulate oil glands and hair follicles, resulting in acne lesions or breakouts.Stress can also lead to an increase in the hormone cortisol, which may also aggravate acne.
People who are under stress can experience disruptions to their lifestyle routines, such as sleep, diet, and exercise. While not a direct cause of acne, less restorative lifestyle habits can affect the skin and may make acne worse.
Stress can lead to skin-picking, which can make inflammation worse, cause scarring, or cause hyperpigmentation (areas of darker color).
The body’sstress responsecan impact skin barrier function, wound healing, and susceptibility to skin infection.
Types of AcneThe four main types of acne are:Hormonal acneFungal acneNodular acneCystic acne
Types of Acne
The four main types of acne are:Hormonal acneFungal acneNodular acneCystic acne
The four main types of acne are:
Other Causes of Acne
Factors that mayincrease the chances of developing acneinclude:
Acne can occur at any age but is most common inadolescents and young adults. At this age, it is more common in males than females.(Note that when health authorities or research is cited, the terms for sex or gender from the source are used.)
Acne can begin or continue in adulthood. This is morecommon in women.
It is believed that the increased likelihood for women to experience gender-specific stress triggers, menstruation-related hormone fluctuations, and certain effects of stress (such as sleep disruption) may play a part in the higher levels of acne in adult females than in adult males.
How to Get Rid of Stress Acne
Your healthcare provider may suggest medications to help heal existing lesions, prevent new lesions, and prevent scarring. Always check with your healthcare provider before using or taking medication.
Topical medications(applied to the skin as gels, lotions,creams, soaps, and pads) may include:
Your healthcare provider may prescribeoral medications, such as:
If topical or oral medications are not an option or are ineffective,other treatmentsmay be used, such as:
Prescription Topical Acne Treatments
How to Prevent Stress Acne
If you are prone to acne, you can help take care of your skin with measures such as:
To helpreduce stress, try practices such as:
Summary
Acne is a skin condition that occurs when hair follicles become blocked with sebum and dead skin cells. Acne lesions, such as whiteheads, blackheads, and pustules, can form or “break out” on theface, back, chest, or shoulders.
Stress is believed to be linked to acne in ways such as affecting hormones that increase oil production, causing disruption to healthy lifestyle routines, and making the body more susceptible to infection.
Acne is most common in teenagers and young adults, especially males. It can alsooccur in adults, affecting women more commonly than men.
Acne can be treated with topical or oral medications, such as antibiotics. Medical procedures like laser and light therapies may sometimes be advised. Always talk to a healthcare provider before using medications or procedures for acne.
Developing a healthy skin care routine, including regular, gentle cleansing, can help reduce the likelihood of acne breakouts. Strategies to manage stress, such as healthy lifestyle habits, relaxation techniques, and talking to others to relieve stress, may also help if you are prone to stress acne.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard Health.Adult female acne: why it happens and the emotional toll.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne.University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.Does stress cause breakouts? How acne and stress are related.Dermatology of Northwest Houston.Does stress cause acne?Jović A, Marinović B, Kostović K, Čeović R, Basta-Juzbašić A, Bukvić Mokos Z.The impact of psychological stress on acne.Acta Dermatovenerol Croat. 2017;25(2):1133-1141.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Adult acne.Bagatin E, Freitas THP de, Rivitti-Machado MC, Ribeiro BM, Nunes S, Rocha MAD da.Adult female acne: a guide to clinical practice.An Bras Dermatol. 2019;94(1):62-75. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20198203Dreno B, Bagatin E, Blume-Peytavi U, Rocha M, Gollnick H.Female type of adult acne: physiological and psychological considerations and management: management of adult female acne.JDDG: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft. 2018;16(10):1185-1194. doi:10.1111/ddg.13664Zari S, Alrahmani D.The association between stress and acne among female medical students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.CCID. 2017;10:503-506. doi:10.2147/CCID.S148499National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne: diagnosis, treatment, and steps to take.The Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Tips and strategies to manage anxiety and stress.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard Health.Adult female acne: why it happens and the emotional toll.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne.University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.Does stress cause breakouts? How acne and stress are related.Dermatology of Northwest Houston.Does stress cause acne?Jović A, Marinović B, Kostović K, Čeović R, Basta-Juzbašić A, Bukvić Mokos Z.The impact of psychological stress on acne.Acta Dermatovenerol Croat. 2017;25(2):1133-1141.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Adult acne.Bagatin E, Freitas THP de, Rivitti-Machado MC, Ribeiro BM, Nunes S, Rocha MAD da.Adult female acne: a guide to clinical practice.An Bras Dermatol. 2019;94(1):62-75. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20198203Dreno B, Bagatin E, Blume-Peytavi U, Rocha M, Gollnick H.Female type of adult acne: physiological and psychological considerations and management: management of adult female acne.JDDG: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft. 2018;16(10):1185-1194. doi:10.1111/ddg.13664Zari S, Alrahmani D.The association between stress and acne among female medical students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.CCID. 2017;10:503-506. doi:10.2147/CCID.S148499National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne: diagnosis, treatment, and steps to take.The Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Tips and strategies to manage anxiety and stress.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Harvard Health.Adult female acne: why it happens and the emotional toll.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne.University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.Does stress cause breakouts? How acne and stress are related.Dermatology of Northwest Houston.Does stress cause acne?Jović A, Marinović B, Kostović K, Čeović R, Basta-Juzbašić A, Bukvić Mokos Z.The impact of psychological stress on acne.Acta Dermatovenerol Croat. 2017;25(2):1133-1141.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Adult acne.Bagatin E, Freitas THP de, Rivitti-Machado MC, Ribeiro BM, Nunes S, Rocha MAD da.Adult female acne: a guide to clinical practice.An Bras Dermatol. 2019;94(1):62-75. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20198203Dreno B, Bagatin E, Blume-Peytavi U, Rocha M, Gollnick H.Female type of adult acne: physiological and psychological considerations and management: management of adult female acne.JDDG: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft. 2018;16(10):1185-1194. doi:10.1111/ddg.13664Zari S, Alrahmani D.The association between stress and acne among female medical students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.CCID. 2017;10:503-506. doi:10.2147/CCID.S148499National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne: diagnosis, treatment, and steps to take.The Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Tips and strategies to manage anxiety and stress.
Harvard Health.Adult female acne: why it happens and the emotional toll.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.Does stress cause breakouts? How acne and stress are related.
Dermatology of Northwest Houston.Does stress cause acne?
Jović A, Marinović B, Kostović K, Čeović R, Basta-Juzbašić A, Bukvić Mokos Z.The impact of psychological stress on acne.Acta Dermatovenerol Croat. 2017;25(2):1133-1141.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Adult acne.
Bagatin E, Freitas THP de, Rivitti-Machado MC, Ribeiro BM, Nunes S, Rocha MAD da.Adult female acne: a guide to clinical practice.An Bras Dermatol. 2019;94(1):62-75. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20198203
Dreno B, Bagatin E, Blume-Peytavi U, Rocha M, Gollnick H.Female type of adult acne: physiological and psychological considerations and management: management of adult female acne.JDDG: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft. 2018;16(10):1185-1194. doi:10.1111/ddg.13664
Zari S, Alrahmani D.The association between stress and acne among female medical students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.CCID. 2017;10:503-506. doi:10.2147/CCID.S148499
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne: diagnosis, treatment, and steps to take.
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Tips and strategies to manage anxiety and stress.
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