Do you ever find yourself breaking out when you’re stressed? Sometimes it seems like these random spots appear overnight with absolutely no warning. I mean, at least that’s what it feels like to me. To be fair, I think it’s safe to say that most of us know what it’s like to get spots when we’re stressed. And you know what? It’s completely normal.
So why do we get spots when we’re stressed?
It turns out there are actually a few reasons.
According to the NHS, acne is defined as ‘a common skin condition that affects most people at some point. It causes spots, oily skin and sometimes skin that’s hot or painful to touch.’
Following on from that, Healthline states that ‘stress can’t directly cause acne.’
They explain that ‘researchers have found that wounds, including acne, are much slower in healing when a person is under stress. Slower healing of acne means that the pimples stay longer and are more susceptible to increasing in severity. It can also mean that more acne is visible at one time because it takes longer for each pimple to heal during a breakout.
This, itself, explains a lot. Although it may not be the actual stress that’s causing the spots, it is definitely a trigger.
Similarly, a bad diet can also be a reason why we get spots when we’re stressed. Allow me to explain:
Do you ever find your diet affected when you’re stressed? I know I do. This might be through comfort eating, indulging or just eating the wrong kinds of foods. Having a bad diet is directly linked to getting spots. Again, it may not be the actual stress that is causing the spots, as it’s the bad diet. However, the stress triggers it and essentially causes the bad diet, which leads to spots being formed.
So now we know a bit about why we get spots, but how can we deal with them? Below are a few tips on how to do exactly that.
1. Wash makeup off before going to bed.
This is a must. After a long day, sometimes taking your makeup off can be the absolute last thing you want to do. But it’s important for so many reasons. One of these reasons is because your skin naturally repairs at night time. If you don’t remove your makeup, you’re actually preventing your skin’s natural repair process from happening, which can lead to visible signs of fatigue and other issues. You’re essentially trapping your skin. It can’t be repaired if it can’t breathe. Take your makeup off at night time. Please let your skin breathe.
2. Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase
This little tip is an extremely useful one. Cotton pillowcases absorb moisture, dirt and oils. These build up and can clog your pores, leading to your skin breaking out and spots being formed. Silk and satin pillowcases, on the other hand, absorb a lot less. If you want to avoid the build up of dirt and oils, it might be time to switch your pillowcase.
The truth is that we’re all affected by spots at some point in our lives. Breaking out is natural. Having spots is natural. It’s a completely normal part of our lives that almost all of us go through.
Sometimes it’s easy to feel down about having spots. But we shouldn’t. Almost everyone will have spots at some point in their lives. Embrace them. Having spots doesn’t make you any less beautiful. You’re still a 10/10.
Humaira Iqbal is a freelance writer for hire at haychwrites.com. She has been writing professionally for 3+ years with an avid focus on mental health and motivation. Her favourite colour is purple. But she’s leaning more and more towards lilac these days.