Stress affects every square mil­limeter of the body and it manifests on the skin, whether we like it or not. Any form of stress produces chemi­cals that can make the skin condi­tion unfavorable. Stress hormones called the cortisol are produced by the adrenal glands, as a response to a “fight or flight” situation. When this happens, some male hormones called androgens leak out. Women are not spared from this male hor­mone production. Androgens play an important role in the hormonal flow that starts at puberty, and are believed to regulate the function of many organs including the kidneys, liver, bone, muscles and reproduc­tive tract.

In adult women, andro­gens are necessary for estrogen synthesis and have been shown to play a vital role in the prevention of bone loss, as well as sexual desire and satisfaction. They also regu­late body function before, during and after menopause. But when the amounts of androgens exceed normal levels, especially during stressful situations, then these use­ful hormones pose problems which most women dread such as acne, hairiness in inappropriate places like the chin or upper lip, and thin­ning of hair. It may be easy to imag­ine that when stress levels are high, the androgen levels create disturb­ing translations on the skin. Adult acne is such an annoying condition that creates more stress, thereby creating aggravations of the skin condition. If stress affects the skin, why doesn’t one just control the stress? I know it is easier said than done, but one has to learn some coping skills to train the mind and the body to relax. One particular coping skill I learned to apply is the ability to “shut myself off” from external stimuli that may be too much for me at a particular time. I have a special son and I have learned from the many years I have done therapies with him to mimic this. People with Autism have been characteri z ed to be in their “own worlds”. They may seem detached, whether intention­ally or selectively, from the sensorial stimulus that they detest or not care about. Through the years, I have learned that it may be a coping skill that they employ when confronted with an unfavorable situations. Not majority of them, though, use this calmed reaction for one can witness the worst physical aggressions, as a means of defense mechanisms, during very stressful cases. This “shutting off” strategy has helped me a lot in stress management. I am sure that husbands whose wives are mad have perfected this skill in order to survive the day or night from the yapping and blabbering of their dear angry nagging spouse!

Another skill that you can prac­tice is deviation. Distract yourself from the stressor and engage in another activity. If cleaning the washroom will help release your angst and frustrations, why not do it just like I do. My clients laugh at me when they ask me how I cope with stress but seriously, you can go to the gym, take a walk at the park or come for a facial treatment or a massage and pamper yourself. In my case, working at the spa is my stress release. I forget about my problems or my concerns when I hibernate inside my room doing services or chatting with clients. Sometimes, I give myself a facial treatment, lie on my facial bed, and pretend I am being pampered by someone else. It is mind over mat­ter, you know! Be creative!

I don’t recommend going to the mall because a person who shops to momentarily forget and escape from stress will soon suffer from double the doze of pain and suffering after going over the receipts from impulse buying. I also do not recom­mend that you go to the bar to drink away the stress because sometimes this usually does not help. When you wake up in the morning, your stress may still be there coupled with hangover.

When stress starts to eat you up, crying is a quick way to release it. Cry your heart out then forget about it! Have you heard the phrase “fake it ‘til you make it?” Sometimes you have to dress the part - even if you’re not feeling real good about yourself. You may feel lousy the fol­lowing morning after you have cried yourself to sleep but you should force yourself to look good despite the emotional bur­den. Try putting on your favorite outfit or spend­ing a few extra minutes on your hair or makeup. When you look good, then there is a big chance that the “aura” will improve.

Saying a prayer and offering our problems, con­cerns, and tribu­lations to God is the best strat­egy in managing stress. Count­ing your bless­ings, rather than your miseries, is a good start. When stress is conquered after a spiritual endeavor, the mind re­laxes, our mood shifts on a positive gear and the hormones start to se­crete normal. So let us all chill out, keep smiling, enjoy the day, forget about the people who vex our spir­its, think positive, and count our blessings (most especially) so that when the mind relaxes, our health and our skin reaps the positive ben­efits from a relaxed mind, body and spirit. When you do this, people will see you, without a doubt, as the “prettiest of them all”!