STRESS EVEN STRESSES OUT OUR SKIN!

I was just reading an interesting article, in MORE magazine, about the effects of stress on skin. Since I doubt that alot of you read this magazine (but it's my favorite, so you should!), I will relay the gist of the article to you. Even if you're not over 40, which is the target audience, this particular article will definitely apply to you and your life.

Dr. Ted Grossbart, Ph.D. at Harvard, says, "Your skin can serve as a billboard for unresolved emotional and psychological issues." And Dr. Ranella Hirsch, M.D., says, "Although stress does not cause most diseases of the skin, it worsens them.....This is why brides break out on their wedding day (oh no, Jami!!) or you get a cold sore before an important job interview."

There is a little known, new, medical field, called psychodermatology, that recognizes the negative effects that stress can have on our skin. These docs are trained in both dermatology as well as either psychology, psychiatry or social work. Cool, huh? But even "regular" dermatologists are relying more and more on relaxation techniques, yoga, meditation, hypnosis and biofeedback as treatments for skin conditions.

Learning to relax (I know it's easier said than done, believe me!) can not only help avoid flare-ups, but can help all women "fend off the aging effects of stress. Stress and sleep deprivation (Jami!!) raise stress hormone levels and the molecules break down collagen, causing wrinkles. De-stressing releases anti-inflammatory molecules that help the skin heal wrinkles by repairing damaged collagen," and this can help EVERY woman, even those without skin diseases, achieve a healthy, glowing complexion.

So, ladies, let's get out our yoga mats (yea, Jami!), get a good night's rest, eliminate the men in our lives who cause us stress (just kidding!), and watch our skin come alive with radiance and good health!