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While it’s impossible to pinpoint one root cause of acne, these 10 surprisingly common mistakes could be contributing to your acne breakouts.
Feb 21, 2020
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Stress is a part of daily life—there’s no getting around it. We can’t avoid our jobs, bills, challenging relationships, politics, or a long to-do list of daily chores. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2017 consumer survey on stress, more than half of Americans say they’re currently experiencing the highest levels of stress they can ever remember. Add to that the fact that 45% are also experiencing sleeplessness every month, and it would appear stress is a having a major impact on our day-to-day lives.
It’s no secret that stress can take a toll on our overall health and make pre-existing conditions worse. But one of the largest organs impacted by stress—and the area that shows the most obvious effects—is the skin. Here’s what stress can do to your skin and how to counteract each symptom.
Spikes in the stress hormone, cortisol, and a lack of quality sleep are to blame for a seemingly constant dull and dry complexion. In reaction to stress, the body releases cortisol to boost productivity in order to quickly and effectively address whatever is causing the stress and knock it out. Unfortunately, cortisol levels, unlike adrenaline, can take a while to die down. The risk here is that stress later in the day can have a hangover effect when it comes to getting some decent shut-eye at night. Additionally, skin’s lipid barrier is weakened by excess cortisol, which lowers the body’s natural hyaluronic acid production. This means that the skin’s ability to retain moisture declines and you wake up to a dull, dry complexion in the a.m.
The Solution: Start with respecting and protecting your time for beauty sleep—because skin can’t recover without stress-less rest. Work on setting and sticking to a bedtime and creating a cushion between work and sleep to decompress and de-stress. Getting your sleep hygiene in order can be a long process, so in the meantime, there are a few quick fixes you can try to assist skin in its recovery. To help skin retain moisture and strengthen the lipid barrier, apply skin care containing moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid or anti-aging niacinamide (vitamin B3), which boosts free fatty acids while supporting the lipid barrier and promoting cell turnover. Try Venus Skin’s SCT Serum and SCT Accelerator combo for an added anti-aging boost via advanced stem cell therapy technology. You can also make a complexion-brightening mask at home using ingredients in your kitchen. Simply blend together one cucumber, one tablespoon of plain yogurt, and one teaspoon of honey, and apply the mixture to the skin for 15 minutes before rinsing. Follow-up with that moisture-boosting cream or serum for full effect.
Rosacea is commonly misunderstood to be a result of stress. Rather, rosacea is a chronic inflammatory condition that flares up as a result of a spike in cortisol that triggers a chain of reaction in the nervous system. As cortisol increases in response to stress, the nervous system reacts by releasing chemicals called neuropeptides and neurotransmitters. These are the culprits that affect how the body responds to stress, triggering inflammation and causing blood vessels to dilate. These symptoms are amplified in those with rosacea.
The Solution: Unfortunately, the clear solution to limit the effects of stress on rosacea is to cut out stress altogether—which can be a big undertaking. Making a list of common stress triggers and practicing avoidance may help, but in cases where stress can’t be avoided, consider treating rosacea symptoms with radio frequency skin resurfacing treatments to boost collagen production and trigger skin’s natural healing cycle. Post-treatment, you can get back to crossing items off those to-do lists immediately and return to your regular skincare routine in as little as 24 hours.
While good genetics can play a role in delaying signs of aging, lifestyle factors can erase the benefits built into your DNA. This is because the effects of chronic stress build up over time. The longer stress continues, the more intense symptoms will appear, including the development of deep-set wrinkles that are much more difficult to erase with a cream or serum alone. In fact, the root of some stress-related wrinkles is thought to be located within our DNA. Telomeres found at the ends of each DNA chromosome work to sustain DNA’s structure and prevent damage. But with time, telomeres grow shorter. This natural aging process often leads to the fine lines and wrinkles we commonly associate with the passing of years, but stress speeds up this process.
The Solution: Supporting skin’s moisture level is a start for preventing further damage, as well as ultimately getting our worries in check. To help minimize the appearance of damage already done, consider a series of radio frequency anti-aging treatments for wrinkle reduction, which can help trigger skin’s natural repair cycle for smoother, firmer-looking skin.
The effects of chronic stress and anxiety causing acne are two-fold: First, cortisol stimulates sebaceous glands in the skin, causing them to ramp up sebum production that can lead to oily skin and breakouts along the jawline and t-zone. Second, stress upsets your microbiome, a sensitive bacterial ecosystem in the gut, setting it off-balance and impacting your body’s ability to fend off acne-causing bacteria, leading to further breakouts.
The Solution: To fend off breakouts, dermatologists may recommend topical spot treatments containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide in combination with stress-reducing therapies to prevent further adult acne breakouts. However, these strategies don’t treat acne-related inflammation. For a one-two punch that fends off future breakouts and current symptoms, consider a custom intense pulsed light (IPL) acne treatment plan. These treatments utilize red and blue light to target acne-causing bacteria and reduce related inflammation for clearer, healthier-looking skin.
To learn more about how ongoing stress has affected your skin and how you can reverse its effects via non-surgical medical aesthetics treatments and dermatologist-recommended skincare regimens, contact a Venus Treatments provider near you using the search field below.
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REGULATORY CLEARANCES [ More ]
Venus Bliss™ is cleared by the FDA and licensed by Health Canada for non-invasive lipolysis of the abdomen and flanks in individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or less, with the diode laser applicators. The (MP)2 applicator is cleared by the FDA for temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite, and licensed by Health Canada for temporary increase of skin tightening, temporary circumferential reduction, and temporary cellulite reduction. Venus Bliss™ has CE Mark as a non-invasive medical aesthetic device enabling a comprehensive approach leading to body contouring, addressing fat reduction, skin tightening, circumference reduction, and cellulite reduction.
Venus Versa™ is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada, and has CE Mark as a multi-application device intended to be used in aesthetic and cosmetic procedures. The SR515 and SR580 applicators are cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada, and have CE Mark for the treatment of benign pigmented epidermal and cutaneous lesions and treatment of benign cutaneous vascular lesions. The HR650/HR650XL and HR690/HR690XL applicators are cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada, and have CE Mark for the removal of unwanted hair and to effect stable long-term or permanent hair reduction for Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV. The AC Dual applicator is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada, and has CE Mark for the treatment of acne vulgaris. The DiamondPolar™ and OctiPolar™ applicators on the Venus Versa™ system are cleared by the FDA for non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides on females with Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV. The DiamondPolar™ applicator is licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark for non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides on females with Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV. The OctiPolar™ applicator on the Venus Versa™ system is licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark for temporary body contouring via skin tightening, circumferential reduction, and cellulite reduction. The NanoFractional RF™ (Viva) applicator is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada, and has CE Mark for dermatological procedures requiring ablation and resurfacing of the skin.
NeoGraft® is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark with indication for use in suction-assisted follicular extraction and re-implantation. It is an auto-graft system and can be used on both male and female patients.
ARTAS iX™ is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark with indication for use for harvesting hair follicles from the scalp in men diagnosed with androgenic alopecia (male pattern hair loss) who have black or brown straight hair. ARTAS iX™ is intended to assist physicians in identifying and extracting hair follicular units from the scalp during hair transplantation; creating recipient sites; and implanting harvested hair follicles.
Venus Legacy™ is cleared by the FDA for the non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides in females with Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV with the OctiPolar™ and DiamondPolar™ applicators, and temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite with the 4D Body (LB2) and 4D Face (LF2) applicators. It is licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark for the temporary increase of skin tightening, temporary circumferential reduction, temporary cellulite reduction, and temporary wrinkle reduction.
Venus Velocity™ is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark for hair removal, permanent hair reduction (defined as the long-term stable reduction in the number of hairs re-growing when measured at 6, 9 and 12 months after the completion of a treatment regimen), and the treatment of pseudofolliculitis barbae for all Fitzpatrick skin types.
Venus Fiore™ received regulatory approval in Israel for aesthetic and functional treatment of the vagina, labia and mons pubis. Venus Fiore™ is available for sale in India, Hong Kong, and other selected Asian countries.
Venus Viva™ is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada, and has CE Mark for dermatological procedures requiring ablation and resurfacing of the skin. The DiamondPolar™ applicator is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark for the treatment of moderate to severe wrinkles and rhytides in Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV.
Venus Freeze Plus™ is cleared by the FDA for the non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides in females with Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV. It is licensed by Health Canada for temporary skin tightening, and temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite on the abdomen and flanks, using the DiamondPolar™ and OctiPolar™ applicators. The DiamondPolar™ applicator on Venus Freeze Plus™ has CE Mark for the non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides, and the increase of skin tightening, temporary circumferential reduction, and cellulite reduction with the OctiPolar™ applicator.
Venus Heal™ is licensed by Health Canada and can be used for the treatment of both acute and chronic disorders of the musculoskeletal system, such as muscle spasms, back pain, and soft tissue injuries, and results in effects such as pain relief, myorelaxation, increase of local blood circulation, and edema reduction. In the U.S., Venus Heal™ is cleared by the FDA for the relief of minor muscle aches and pain, relief of muscle spasm, and temporary improvement of local blood circulation. These indications enable the treatment of certain soft tissue injuries and conditions.
Venus Glow™ is cleared by the FDA as a Class I motorized dermabrasion device. It provides a dermal rejuvenation treatment that works to open up and deep-clean pores. Venus Concept is the exclusive distributor for Venus Glow™.
Venus Epileve™ is licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark for hair removal, permanent hair reduction (defined as the long-term stable reduction in the number of hairs re-growing when measured at 6, 9 and 12 months after the completion of a treatment regimen), and the treatment of pseudofolliculitis barbae for all Fitzpatrick skin types. Venus Epileve™ is also CE-Marked for hirsutism.
Venus Freeze™ is cleared by the FDA for the non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides in females with Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV. It is licensed by Health Canada for temporary skin tightening, and temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite on the abdomen and flanks, using the DiamondPolar™ and OctiPolar™ applicators. The DiamondPolar™ applicator on Venus Freeze™ has CE Mark for the non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides, and the increase of skin tightening, temporary circumferential reduction, and cellulite reduction with the OctiPolar™ applicator.
Venus Swan™ is cleared by the FDA for the non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides, and licensed by Health Canada for the non-invasive treatment of cellulite reduction, skin tightening, and temporary reduction in the appearance of stretch marks.
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