What could make surprise quizzes, early morning classes, and the peer pressure you face in school even worse? It’s acne – definitely one of the worst things to happen to you during teen years. One fine morning, when you wake up ready to face the day feeling really great, you look in the mirror and find a zit at the most prominent place on your face.
You already face lots of challenges as a teenager, and frequent acne only makes things even more stressful. Ironically, stress and acne have a cyclical relationship. Stress increases sebum production which can lead to clogged pores and acne. But then, having acne stresses you out! So basically, stress causes acne, and acne causes more stress. It’s a vicious cycle! That’s why it is very difficult (we want her to have hope!) to get acne free skin when you are preparing for exams or freaking out about an upcoming event.
Try these stress-busting techniques and skin care tips to control a breakout during stressful times:
Reduce Stress
That might sound clichéd - who doesn’t get panicked when deadlines are approaching? Though you cannot eliminate stress completely from your life, reducing stress is possible with conscious efforts. Taking deep breaths, getting organized, and doing regular exercise can help you keep stress in control. Yoga is a great way to limit severe stress from your life.
Rest & sleep well
In your teenage years, you have boundless energy, which often makes you want to rest and sleep less. You have assignments to finish, games to win, and TV to watch too. But try to clock at least eight hours of sleep every night. Sleeping less messes with your mental and physical health. People who sleep less experience more stress, and more stress means more zits.
Rethink your diet
Tea, coffee, energy drinks and fast food might be your staples these days, but a poor diet contributes to skin breakouts and also affects your stress levels. Having balanced and nutritious food is good for you skin in two ways. One, it directly provides nutrients, which is great for skin clarity, and two, it reduces your stress level which in turn helps give you clear skin too. So eat right to reduce stress. No amount of ‘comfort foods’ is going to reduce stress for you.
Keep your hands away from face
Though this is quite an old school piece of advice, touching your zits or popping them can actually make matters worse. All of us are guilty of picking or prodding pimples, but this not only leads to tissue damage and spreads germs further across your skin—it also can cause infections and leave permanent scars.
So don’t fret over zits—just chill! Lower your stress with the help of good habits, use a good acne face wash and acne care moisturiser twice a day, and love the skin you’re in!