Teens With Acne Need Less Stress

Ivanhoe Newswire
Wednesday, March 7, 2007; 12:00 AM

By Lucy Williams, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Is your teen losing a battle against pimples? Stressors like homework and exams could be partly to blame.

Recent research reveals stress makes a teen 23-percent more likely to experience a severe acne outbreak. Stress can ignite inflammatory processes that lead to acne outbreaks.

"A lot of inflammatory processes are linked to stress. If you look at inflammatory bumps, there is a correlation with stress," lead author Gil Yosipovitch, M.D., professor of dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., told Ivanhoe. "The body responds to reactions from the brain, and that's where this study has a lot of implications."

Researchers studied 94 secondary school students in Singapore during a high-stress time before midyear examinations and a low-stress time during summer vacation. Researchers measured acne severity and sebum levels, which is the oily substance that coats the skin. They also monitored stress levels with the Perceived Stress Scale, a self-questionnaire.

Researchers found a significant positive correlation between stress levels and severity of acne papulopustulosa, the form of acne marked by pimples. Elevated stress levels were not linked to acne comedonica, the form of acne marked by whiteheads and blackheads.

Sebum levels did not fluctuate significantly between the periods of high stress and low stress. Researchers conclude psychological stress does not appear to affect the quantity of sebum production, but it may impact other factors that cause acne. Researchers report stress may cause inflammation in the skin, which can lead to acne outbreaks.

"The takeaway message is that if we can reduce the level of stress by techniques of relaxation, we could reduce acne," said. Dr. Yosipovitch. "From my perspective, yoga for kids could be helpful."

"Techniques to reduce stress, like mindfulness and breathing techniques, should be a part of armamentarium," he said. "If an adolescent has a test and knows how to cope with it, these techniques can reduce stress without giving pills all the time. It's easy for us to give pills, but we're not always addressing these issues."

Further research in a larger population is necessary to determine why stress exacerbates acne. Researchers plan to examine the relationship between stress, acne and the lipids involved in acne inflammation.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

SOURCE: Ivanhoe interview with Gil Yosipovitch, M.D.; Acta Dermato Venereologica 2007;87:135-139