The damage stress can wreak on your face

Some of us deal with it every day and some a few times a week. STRESS! Everybody has its own way of handling stress but the thing we all have in common is that it can cause huge damage on the way we look.

Offcourse you won't get grey hairs if you have to catch a deadline once in a while but being stressed for a longer period of time can cause premature grey hairs, lines, wrinkles and the list goes on. And thats some scary sh*t because we all feel the pressure to perform, deliver or decide (every day).

Like I said we all have our different ways to deal with stress. Maybe you don't smoke but when you are in a stressfull situation you can smoke a pack a day (me 5 years ago)?! Some of us are more likely to eat chocolate (Fit Girl Aranka knows best) and some of us only sleep 4 hours a night because they have to much on their mind. All these habits die hard but when you know what it can cause on the long term you will think twice next time you're stressed out and allready reaching for that chocolate/cigarette/glass of wine.

Where does it come from?
Stress has a dehydrating effect on skin because when you’re under stress, the body takes blood flow away from peripheral organs – such as skin – to provide muscles with energy.
This is for the ‘fight to flight’ response that stress requires from our bodies. It’s perfectly natural. But it’s meant to be over quickly.
When we were cave(wo)men fighting off predators we would fight or flee from the threat  and then rest and recuperate. But here's the thing, today we don't get the time to recuperate because we want it all, a fulltime job, hanging out with our girlfriends, #sixpackbeforeturning30, QT with the BF, visiting your grandma, folding laundy, spending time with your pet, calling your mom, doing the dishes, cleaning your refrigerator (what's that smell?) Unlike our cave(wo)men ancestors, except for a few weeks holidays a year, our stress doesn’t end. That means we are always and forever in this state and that's what's causing the damage.

The damage stress can wreak on your face

More grey hair – This is no myth, research last year found that high levels of stress hormones in the skin can cause hair follicles to be stripped of a type of stem cells that give hair its colour.

More spots – Acne and stress are directly related so if you’re experiencing adult acne, whatever your age, look at your stress levels. Stress causes an inflammatory response in the body and leads the pores to become clogged and break out into a pimple.

Bloating or even waight gaining- when your stressed you are more likely to eat take-out or something sweet. Your body is graving energy and you are to tired to cook something healthy. Sounds familiair?

Lack of radiance – this occurs because your blood flow has slowed down and blood is being pumped into the muscles to rule the fight or flight reactions.

Bags under the eyes – stress is the enemy of sleep. Period.

Fine lines and dry skin – stress reduces the skin’s own protective barrier made of healthy oils known as lipids, causing them to evaporate. This rich, moist barrier is hard to replace, even with the best creams, which is why stressed people’s skin always looks so desperately dry. Where is my yoga mat and herbal tea?

Redness – Stress is also a key element in inflammatory skin conditions such as rosacea, which is exacerbated if you’re dealing with stress by using alcohol (red wine increases the likelihood of rosacea and broken capillaries). Moreover, other inflammatory skin conditions including eczema and psoriasis are directly linked with stress.

What a stressed out face will look like in 10 years...

Anna Magee, a 45-year-old journalist, was worried about the effect stress was having on her body. She decided to enlist the help of forensic artist Auriole Prince to get a picture – literally – of what her face will look like in 10 years if she remains under her current levels of stress. MailOnline also asked three brave volunteers to participate to see how they too would be affected, based on their current appearance and how they deal with stress.

So now you know how stress can damage your health and they way you look, you really have to consider some ME-TIME.

- take a hot bath
- read a book or magazine
- go for a walk on the beach
- watch The Notebook for the 76th time
- or go work out!

The last option is my favorite way to de-stress. I know it sounds crazy but while working out my mind goes blank and that is just what I need when I had a stressful day.

Are you stressed and if so, how do you de-stress?

XO Kiki