Stress and Your Skin

Do you need to relax more? A quick peek in the mirror holds the answer. As it turns out, recent research shows that stress can hurt your skin. "We know that stress can have a dramatic effect on the immune system," says Joshua Fox, MD, founder of Advanced Dermatology and a spokesman for the American Academy of Dermatology. "And quite often, that can create immune- related responses in the skin." Read: the more stress you're under, the more you're prone to breakouts, flare-ups with chronic conditions like psoriasis and eczema, and even wrinkles. Dr. Fox's de-stress suggestions: try meditation, hypnosis or biofeedback. Personally, I'm using this as evidence that I deserve a massage!