Study Explains Why Stress is Good for Your Skin

Little bit of stressing can be good for your skin, study finds.

Experts remind us not to stress and fret about little things to avoid skin wrinkling and premature aging. But, a recent research says brief episodes of worry will give you a glowing and healthy skin. Scientists from the University of California-San Francisco , conducted a clinical trial using a mouse model and found skin conditions like inflammation, allergies and eczema heal under stressful situations.

They observed skin irritations like dermatitis caused by prolonged usage of soaps and cleansing lotions, contracting allergens and poison ivy in mice healed when glucocorticosteroid, a steroid hormone was released by the adrenalin gland. The anti-inflammatory properties of the hormone healed a small patch of skin condition in a group of mice that were placed in a small space to induce stress and claustrophobia for almost four days.

The researchers also noted giving mice mifepristone, a drug that suppresses steroid action, blocked therapeutic effects of stress in alleviating skin irritation.

"Under chronic stress, these same naturally-occurring steroids damage the protective functions of normal skin and inhibit wound healing, but during shorter intervals of stress, they are beneficial for inflammatory disorders and acute injury in both mice and humans," said Peter Elias, study author and professor of dermatology based at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC), reports the Financial Express.

"We believe that our findings explain why this otherwise harmful component of the stress response has been preserved during human evolution," he said.

The authors also said their study helped explain how our ancestors sustained physical ailments despite the absence of potent drugs and medications.

"This safe, effective internal anti-inflammatory system provides just the correct amount of steroids to promote healing, over a time interval that is too short to cause harm," said Elias.

More information is available online in the journal of Investigative Dermatology.