The link between stress and acne is a widely-debated topic. It has only been fairly recently that studies have been made to explore this occurrence. Research studies have confirmed that stress indeed can worsen acne.
What is the link that ties acne + stress together?
When the body is going through stress, it increases stress hormones as defense mechanism. This increased production of “stress hormones” like cortisol can throw many of your bodies systems off-balance. Although there seems to be no conclusive study to determine the exact connection, it seems that during stresss, your body increases its production of sebum, which leads to more incidences of clogged pores, easily escalating 
to acne breakouts.
Moreover, stress can lead to acne in another way. As psychological stress rises, your immune system bacteria fighting ability lowers significantly (by as much as 40%), leading to less wound healing capacity and weakened ability to fight infection. This factor doubles the effect of stress on acne.
In fact, stress does not only lead to acne breakouts. In general, stress can worsen your overall skin health. As it induces adrenal gland to produce hormones, the sebaceous glands produce more oil and make the skin a little bit oilier than usual.
What does this mean for you + your acne?
Stress is naturally a part of daily living. However, it pays to know that chronic or prolonged stress is entirely not healthy for your overall well-being, and also for your 
skin. If you have to deal with alot of stress, you can try to practice “stress management techniques” to keep those acne breakouts at bay.
Avoid stress as much as you can, and make sure to eat a healthy diet, so as not to compromise your immune system. Furthermore, make sure not to neglect skin care rituals, such as face washing or anti-bacterial medications.
Stress affects the body in more ways than one – both in major and minor ways. Stress is not good for many systems in your body; it can also lead to premature aging. While stress is certainly unavoidable, make sure to take the extra mile to lessen its impact on your health and on your skin.
