That infuriating stress can really get under your skin

WHEN Sarah Kugelman was in her early 30s, she was severely stressed. Her highpowered job in the beauty industry in Columbus, Ohio, meant she was working long hours, travelling regularly – and neglecting her health.

She went on to suffer from various infections and illnesses, but not before she noticed an effect on her looks. “Everything was playing out on my skin,” she explains, now some 20 years later.

“I had no glow – it was really dull. I was only 31 and had accelerated signs of ageing with wrinkles. I also had cystic acne.”

When stressed, the adrenal glands produce cortisol, a hormone that can have an immuno-suppressive effect, meaning bacteria that would normally be fought off can grow on the skin and lead to acne.

Stress can also cause DNA damage, leaving cells less able to repair themselves, leading to signs of accelerated ageing. As happened with Kugelman, stress can also lead to skin irritation as the body creates more histamines.

A London-based dermatologist internationally famed for her natural approach, Dr Claudia Louch, says she has noticed a dramatic increase in middle-aged women experiencing acne for the first time since their teenage years. Typically, they have perioral acne, which appears around the mouth and chin.

She believes that while stress can have a negative impact on the skin, it is often also linked to underlying causes – be they hormonal imbalances, yeast infections or poor nutrition.

Kugelman said: “It’s a balance of dealing with what’s going on inside as well as outside. It’s about seven to eight hours’ sleep at night, drinking four cups of water a day, doing some kind of fitness regularly, doing some kind of meditation and learning when you’re stressed”.

Examine your diet: “If you’re eating a lot of white foods with flour, yeast and also lots of sugar, try and cut down,” says Kugelman.

“It’s best to have a diet high in antioxidants, with foods like sweet potatoes and avocados.” Keep to a fitness regimen, but build in rest: “Exercise helps sweat out impurities from lymph nodes and sends oxygen to all organs and the skin. It can help to clear and detoxify your skin.” Take it easy on yourself: “Yoga, acupuncture and meditation are all known to help with stress.”

Make sure you have enough sleep. “If your body has at least eight hours’ rest a night, it can renew itself and rejuvenate.”

Oily skin? Cut down on dairy. As soya and almond milk converts will tell you, dairy is not always your skin’s friend. According to dermatologists, cow’s milk – which is often thick with progesterone from the expectant cow – can knock your ordinary hormone levels off-kilter, resulting in bumpy, oily skin.

Acne breakouts? Take a break. Cortisol, the hormone released during periods of high physiological stress, is a key player when it comes to adult acne.

Sandpaper skin? Could be an underactive thyroid? Raw and itchy skin is not uncommon in those in a state of hormonal flux – for instance, menstruating women. Other telltale signs of thyroid disease are muscle cramps and weight gain.

Dark circles? Cleanse your kidneys When no amount of cold teabags or cucumber slices can shift the excess baggage around your eyes, it usually means time for an early night dark circles will appear as your epidermis struggles to make up for lost regeneration time). However, when the eye bags are also puffy – and especially if accompanied by swelling of the hands and feet – it could indicate kidney deficiency or bowel congestion. Try flushing the kidneys with cranberry tablets, which help clear excess calcium oxalate, one of the main contributors to kidney stones.

Bumpy eyelids? Curb your cholesterol Cheese-guzzlers and those fond of a thick steak may be familiar with xanthelasma, a lumpy eyelid condition that’s the result of a high-cholesterol diet. Opting for fibrous foods will quickly quash the yellowish lipids deposits, but it could be time for a cholesterol test.

White patches? Double-check for diabetes When your blood-sugar levels max out, your body creates a series of surface-level warning signs. With vitiligo, smooth white patches appear on the skin because the cells that make pigment are destroyed – and could prefigure a diabetes diagnosis. — Robbie Hodges, The Daily Telegraph