Study Shows Link between Teen Acne and Stress
Many things get the blame for causing teen acne -- diet, hygiene, heredity, and junk food get blamed for just a few. Now researchers prove that stress in teen's lives cause some acne. Find out how stress affects your acne breakouts and how to control it.
Are stress and teen acne linked?
Teenagers who are under a lot of stress have 23% more acne breakouts than teens that stress less, states Gil Yosipovitch, a Wake Forest University professor of dermatology. This answers what everyone has wondered for years, "Does stress have an impact on the severity of acne?" It appears true.
A test performed by researchers in Singapore reports the same results. Teens who had mild acne tracked their levels of stress. The researchers also recorded their level of acne at the same time. The results showed during times of low stress, the acne breakouts were much less severe than times of high stress.
The researchers also tracked the teen's levels of sebum production. Sebum is the oily substance that coats skin and hair and often catches the blame for acne. The study shows that stress levels do not affect sebum levels. They stayed consistent regardless of high or low stress levels.
This shows that stress definitely factors in affecting how mild or severe your teen's acne breakouts occur.
How to reduce stress-related acne
Stress is a major problem for many people including teens and not easily overcome. While you can't get rid of all the stress in your life, make some changes to reduce the stress as much as possible. Follow these tips to reduce stress and clear acne:
Tip #1 -- Plan ahead
By planning ahead, fewer surprises occur that may upset you. It also gives you a feeling that of control in your life and helps reduce stress.
Tip #2 -- Avoid stressful situations
Certain situations stress you out? Avoid them. If being in certain circumstances or being around certain people cause you stress, do your best to avoid both. If it's not possible to avoid them, explore different ways to handle the stress.
Tip #3 -- Lighten the load
Over committing and being too involved causes a great deal of stress. Trying to do a full workload of school and then piling on a load of extra-curricular activities is a sure way to stress out. Trim back your schedule, leaving time for priorities and cutting out unnecessary activities.
Tip #5 -- Use stress relief techniques
Stress relief may just be the best acne treatment ever! Try yoga, deep breathing exercises or other proven stress relief methods to reduce stress and treat acne. Check online for stress relievers and see which one works best for you.
The bottom line is...stay relaxed, stay in control, and learn when to say, 'No' to too many activities. By keeping your life as stress-free as possible, you'll begin to see marked improvement in your acne.