HOW STRESS AGES THE SKIN

We all know how smoking,(with the effects of nicotine which is a vasoconstrictor) and the sun (Harmful UVA and UVB rays) damage the skin, along with a bad diet but are you aware of the damage stress does to our skin? To explain it's necessary to understand what happens in our body when we are stressed

THE SCIENCE BIT

Deep within the brain we have an area known as the Hypothalamus, its the home of our moods and emotions and a very primitive part of the brain. The Hypothalamus is also the area that maintains equilibrium in our bodies and it maintains and regulates every bit of our body's chemistry. It is the area that controls the Endocrine system, it forms part of the Autonomic Nervous System and part of the Limbic System. It is Hypothalmus  that is the key to managing stress and all its detrimental effects on our mind and body. It is directly through this area that the holistic therapy Aromatherapy works and is managed by other holistic therapies.

 Since the Hypothalamus is the home of moods and emotions anything that affects these will influence the Hypothalamus, thus will have an effect on the body's equilibrium.

Now if we are stressed and modern stressors are not the same as those stressors we had as we were evolving as humans, they still have the same effect resulting in "the fight or flight response"

The Role of the Hypothalamus

The Hypothalamus is the part of the brain that controls the endocrine system.
The Pituitary gland lies beneath the Hypothalamus and it is this that controls the other endocrine glands.
The Hypothalamus receives information about the Homeostasis (balance) of the body, this is achieved by two means:

The blood circulation i.e. temperature, blood glucose levels and hormone levels
The nervous system i.e. The Autonomic Nervous system i.e. the part of the nervous system that regulates automatic functions e.g. breathing, heart rate etc. and mental and emotional states, our feelings: these influence ‘automatic responses’ e.g. ‘The fear, flight response’
The Hypothalamus responds to these changes by:

Secreting Hormones (chemical messengers) that regulate hormones to be released by the anterior lobe of the pituitary
The hypothalamus also directly releases hormones via the Posterior Lobe of the Pituitary , Vasopressin (ADH) and Oxytocin
And by stimulating a nerve response to the ‘Central Nervous System’ (Brain & spinal Cord)

SO WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE?

Moods/emotions affect the hypothalamus, the hypothalamus evokes a reaction on the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland produces Adrenocorticotropic hormone this in turn targets the adrenal glands causing them to secrete Cortisone, Cortisone in turn effects the kidneys causing a rise in blood pressure by causing changes in the amount of salt secreted, this hormone causes the body to retain salt. Now remember the Hypothalamus one of its jobs is to maintain the body's equilibrium, it detects a rise in salt levels in the blood so to keep balance it causes the body to retain fluid, it is this retained fluid that increases blood pressure. At the same time, the Hypothalamus being part of the Central Nervous System evokes what is known as the Sympathetic Nervous System this diverts blood away from the digestive system and to lesser important body structures such as the skin and concentrates the blood to the heart, lungs and muscles. Simultaneously this nervous response influences the adrenal glands to produce Adrenalin and Noradrenalin, it is these hormones that induces vasoconstriction (reduces the blood supply) to the skin and peripheral tissues, thus also raising blood pressure.

Now this is putting it simply there are a few other processes also going on to increase blood sugar to give the body fuel to either run off or fight, Corticotrophic hormones influence the pancreas to secrete glucagon this has the opposite effect as insulin.

When the stress is over the Parasympathetic Nervous reverses the process again it is the Hyptholamus that instigates this.

Obviously its much more complex than this and I have focused on a few key hormones as it the action of these hormones that affects our well-being, the ageing process and blood pressure.

The fight or flight response was not designed to last forever it was meant ti instigate an action to deal with an aggressor, be it a wild animal or in a fight with an attacker therein lies the problem modern stressors tends to be work, work colleagues etc. the stress becomes long acting, this kind of reaction is fine in the short term but very detrimental to the body in the long term.

Take Cortisone, it has a damaging effect on specialised cells within the dermis (the skin), fibroblasts, these cells produce collagen and elastin, it is collagen and elastin that gives our skin elasticity and support. Adrenalin reduces blood supply to the peripheral tissues, such as the skin and hair, therefore, these structures do not receive adequate nourishment from the blood. So the effect of long term stress affects the skin resulting in ageing of the skin.

We all have various stresses in our lives, we cannot avoid it but we can reduce the effect it has on us with various relaxation techniques such as meditation and other therapies, such as massage, aromatherapy and reflexology or any pastime, even walking, that helps us relax. I hear all the time from clients I haven't the time to have a massage etc but even five minutes of meditation will have beneficial effects on our health in general and not just skin ageing. You can use the most expensive skin creams (not always the best), give up smoking, keep out of the sun but if you're highly stressed and not addressing the situation your skin won't be the best it could be.

To be the best we can be, we need to take a holistic approach to our health for our spirit, mind and body all work together so don't neglect any one component of this as each influences the other i.e. a stressed mind is going to affect our physical body and the skin, the body's largest organ is sure to be affected.

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Astrid Brown (Author) › Visit Amazon's Astrid Brown Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more