Does stress cause acne or make it worse?

Find out whether or not stress causes acne or makes it worse...

Finally, studies have shown a stress link to acne. Time was dermatologists would shake their heads and make a note in the chart when you say that you've been under a lot of stress and your acne is worsening.

Today it is the focus of acne treatment for some patients.

Back in 2003, "The Archives of Dermatology" published a small study by Alexa B. Kimball, MD, from Stanford University. They thought their study would show the perceptions of acne treatment patients' that their acne worsened during stress was merely coincidental or inaccurate.

Even when they allowed for bad diet, inadequate sleep and exercise, they found that the student subjects actually did experience an aggravation of their acne, in spite of acne treatment, during final exams.

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It was a short hop to extend this to the general population's corroborative, though personal, experience.

So the word is, now, that unusual external stress (as opposed to internal physical problems) does indeed make acne worse.

Many doctors still downplay this connection with their old standby response that "we don't know if acne causes stress or stress worsens acne." They make no allowance for it in an acne treatment program.

The truth is that the study doesn't indicate what the actual physical connection is. It's a long way from the physical description of blackheads and pimples to how the body responds to stress. That research may be long in coming, however. You're not dealing with a life-threatening disease when it comes to acne. On the stress-related disease spectrum, acne treatment must come pretty far down the list for fund sharing when compared to major life threats like heart attack.

For the acne sufferer, working the knowledge into an acne remedy is pretty much a do-it-yourself project. It's not enough to just "chill." Many stressful situations, like final exams, cannot be avoided. What individuals can do is plan their own attack for their acne treatment.

Consult with your dermatologist to make sure you're doing everything he or she thinks is the best possible acne remedies for your particular condition. This may include checking out the newer non-invasive, low side effect acne treatment therapies like blue light as an adjunct for stressful periods.

Separate myth from fact. Arm yourself for acne treatments with knowledge.

Learn how to handle periodic stress. Accept that what you're doing isn't working with your acne treatment and get some help. Check with a school counseling center or private therapist. Stress reduction techniques include meditation, prayer, exercise, journaling, even deep breathing. Find what works for you.

Organize a list of what you're going to do before stress hits your acne treatment program. Making the decisions when there's time allows you to cut straight to the action instead of agonizing and raising your stress level further.

Be proactive about your acne; get with your dermatologist and take charge of your life. Acne and acne treatment, like any ongoing physical condition, can consume a good part of your energy. Complete the medications and keep up with the routines, I know you can come to terms with the rest.