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What does stress acne look like?

Given the increase in oil production, she says your skin will usually look greasier and slightly more inflamed. Zeichner adds that stress acne can also look like a combination of blackheads, whiteheads, red bumps, and pus pimples.

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I entered quarantine with one silver lining: the hope I'd emerge with crystal-clear skin. But nine weeks in, it's apparent all I'm getting out of this is stress acne. In normal times I usually deal with adult acne, thanks to a winning combination of hormones and genetics. But even despite the fact that I gave up makeup two months ago and have more downtime for my skin-care routine than ever before, every day I'm still greeted by a brand-new pimple. A quick scroll through Twitter reveals I'm not alone. Women who haven't had acne since high school are suddenly battling a face full of it, or they're seeing clusters of acne breakouts instead of the usual period zit. Sure, there are probably plenty of reasons—face mask irritation, changes in all of our routines—but there's also a really simple explantation: We're all stressed the eff out. Acne may seem small compared with what's going on in the world, but when the only face you see in a day—or at least focus on—is your own, it can affect your whole mood. While the obvious answer to stress acne is simply to be less stressed, that's helpful advice to absolutely no one. However, the good news is that once you know the signs of it, it's much easier to treat. We talked to top dermatologists on how to identify, get rid of, and manage stress acne. But first, we get to the bottom of how stress hormones can effect your skin.

Does stress cause acne?

So here's the thing: Technically, stress doesn't directly cause acne, but it absolutely plays a role in it, as well as other skin conditions. "We know that stress has a negative impact on our skin," says Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. "It interferes with proper skin barrier function, impairs wound healing, and causes skin conditions like eczema and rosacea to worsen." Like all types of acne, stress acne is caused by a mix of bacteria, oil, inflammation, and hormones. "To prepare ourselves for a stressful environment, our bodies overproduce certain hormones like cortisol," says Zeichner. These hormones stimulate your oil glands and put them into overdrive. This overproduction of oil then clogs pores, which is what's actually causing you to break out, not the stress itself.

What does stress acne look like?

While most women experience hormonal acne on their jawline, stress acne more closely resembles the breakouts you probably got when you were a teenager, since it's caused by an overproduction of oil. "Stress acne, unlike your regular breakouts, usually occurs on the oiliest parts of your face—your forehead, nose, and chin areas," says Shereene Idriss, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist at New York City's Union Square Laser Dermatology. Given the increase in oil production, she says your skin will usually look greasier and slightly more inflamed.

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