Stress May Worsen Acne
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine say stress may worsen acne. While stress has often been cited as a source of acne, these claims have been unsubstantiated until now. Twenty-two university students participated in this study.
Each participant had at least one academic examination within the time of the study. Exam sessions are common sources of stress for students. Stress levels were recorded using the Perceived Stress Scale, which measures perceptions of life stress, including how often subjects perceived their life to be uncontrollable, unpredictable, and overwhelming. Researchers write, "Subjects who had the greatest increases in stress during examination periods also had the greatest exacerbation in acne severity." Worsening of diet was also an influential factor that increased acne severity.
Acne is a condition of the skin that affects more than 80 percent of teenagers and up to 25 percent of adults. The relationship between stress and acne could make way for behavioral interventions for patients, apart from the medication currently available. Researchers explain that psychological stress can slow wound healing by up to 40 percent, which could account for the relationship between examination stress and worsening of acne. Because the participants had mild acne, further research is needed to determine the role of stress in more severe cases.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Archives of Dermatology, 2003;139:897-900
|
