Life can provide its fair share of stressful situations. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, stress takes a toll on our body and often manifests itself in visible ways. Whether it’s an issue of unhealthy weight loss or intense fatigue, it’s not uncommon for the stress to wear on a person’s body. Consider the following ways your body might be hinting at stress you need to get rid of.
Dark Under-Eyes
Late nights and stress seem to go hand in hand. Whether you’re awake throughout the night with a sick child or working on a work assignment, you’re not getting a lot of sleep. The fatigue will easily show up on your face through dark under-eye circles. What you’ll need to do is craft a plan to get more rest. Shift your schedule around to accommodate your health. Furthermore, special creams with vitamin C, aloe, and cucumber can do wonders to help get the blood circulating healthily under your eyes and tighten up sagging skin. With more rest, hydration and proper nutrition, the circles will go away on their own.
Acne
In many cases, acne is hereditary. In other cases, stress makes acne breakouts flare up. When you wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and see new breakouts staring back at you, look at their position. If it’s around the forehead, temples, and ears, then that often indicates stress-induced acne. The important step to take now is to stay hydrated, eat anti-inflammatory foods, and find ways to relax. Remember to practice good hygiene by cleansing your skin before bed. Avoid picking the pimples or touching your face. This will only transfer bacteria to the area to make the breakout take longer to clear up. Using products with salicylic acid can help speed up the recovery process and clear out your pores faster, so long as you moisturize properly to avoid over-drying your skin.
Teeth Sensitivity and Chipping
There are many people who grind their teeth when they’re stressed out. Not only does it hurt the gums, but it impacts the quality of your enamel. Grinding and clenching your teeth can cause cracks and chips in the exterior of your tooth. If the habit is allowed to continue for too long, you can also eventually wear your teeth down to expose the nerves inside. The most important step here is to notice when you’re clenching or grinding and stop yourself. If you’re doing it at night, invest in a night guard to protect your teeth. If you’ve found that your teeth have already been damaged because of your grinding habit, consider porcelain veneers. These are made to look just like your normal teeth and cover up any cracks, chips, or raggedness that can come from grinding and clenching.
Dandruff and Hair Loss
There are plenty of people who get stressed and lose hair in the process. Most people, however, end up experiencing terrible bouts with itchiness and dandruff. The tension in your scalp is blocking off proper blood flow, making your scalp dry. Try massaging your scalp gently with the tips of your fingertips at various points in the day to help encourage blood flow. For a temporary period, you can also change the products you’re using. Use products that are able to alleviate dandruff and relieve the scalp. In the case of hair loss, consider green tea rinses to help strengthen your hair and invigorate your scalp.
Even though stress might be manifesting itself in your body, know that it can get better. Taking time to relieve stress at the end of every workday with a short nap, meditation, or just sitting down to clear your mind can make a major difference for both your health and your appearance. If your stress is lasting longer than a few weeks, be sure to identify and remove any stressors you can from your life, and consider speaking to a doctor or therapist to help find more ways to help you relax.
About the author:
Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here