Who knew that stress could seriously affect almost every area of your life? Everything from health to beauty, from relationships to sleep! I learned that lesson in my senior year at secondary school.
Senior year, or Year 12 as it’s known here in Australia, was definitely the most stressful year of my life. In contrast, I’m two years into University and it’s still a breeze compared to the suffocating pressure and constant demand Year 12 imposed on my life. Thank goodness it’s done and dusted!
Aside from learning good study habits, a healthy sleep routine and many other lifestyle lessons, Year 12 did teach me something else very profound… Acne has another cause! Stress!
The ironic thing about having acne because of stress is that it often leads to more acne because you are stressed about the original acne, which leads to more acne, which causes you to be more stressed, which… you get my point. #thestruggleisreal
Now this isn’t just something that happened to poor little ol’ me! SkinB5’s blogging Naturopath Haley Yates wrote in a post about stress and acne, that this very dilemma stressed students experience, is in fact very common!
Haley’s post also touched on the fact that unfortunately suicide rates are increased with people who suffer from a skin condition. This, combined with the already high rates of teenage suicide, is a very dangerous and frightening mix. The emotional impact of not looking your best is overwhelming, but there is an out. As tough as it is, insecurities is something everyone deals with. I still do. It’s not something you can break out of easily, but it can be done. I do urge that if you are experiencing feelings of extreme insecurity and/or suicidal/self harming thoughts, please seek the advice and counsel of a medical professional. If that’s a bit out of your reach, a trusted mentor or even a school chaplain are really great go-to’s to have. The most important thing is; tell someone! You are not alone.
As unfortunate as it is, having a skin condition like acne can have vicious cycles, including the previously mentioned stress = acne which = stress which = acne… there I go again! In the instance of acne due to stress, learn what it is that makes you stressed, for me, this was learning that getting behind in work and not understanding what was happening in class, then work out how to stop that stress. Yes. I stopped procrastinating and just got all my study done – much better! It’s also important to learn what helps you relax. Music? Exercise? Friends? Use these outlets to stay sane during stressful times. This could almost be seen as prevention is better than cure because if stress = acne, then less stress must = less acne!
Jemma is a second year commerce student and Marketing Assistant for SkinB5. Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Jemma wants to travel the world with her degree. She is passionate about the youth of today and is often nicknamed ‘Mum’ because of her passion for young people. As a youth leader at her local church and a previous school captain for her secondary college, Jemma has seen the various struggles many teens have had to go through. She helps these teens overcome these struggles driven by a desire to see them succeed and be confident in their own skin. As an acne sufferer, Jemma empathises with young acne sufferers and hopes to help these teens overcome this struggle that is still very fresh in her mind!
