Acne Flaring Up? Here's What to Know About Treating Stress Pimples

Stress acne is a peculiar thing. When you're stressed, you break out, which causes more stress, and as a result, you get more breakouts. It's a cruel, vicious cycle. As we all know too well, stress can be caused by a number of factors. Pressure at work, daunting assignments at school, drama in your personal life — the list goes on and on. Considering no matter how hard you try to avoid it, life at times is just downright stressful, it can feel like unexpected pimples are inevitable.

There are different types of acne out there that show up for different reasons. Cystic acne, which is typically deep under the skin, occurs due to hormones while whiteheads are surface level and can pop up when you're eating the wrong foods or not exfoliating enough (among other reasons), some acne is severe, requiring treatment from a doctor while other breakouts only happen occasionally and subside on their own — it can be a lot to keep track of.
If you want to get the 411 on stress acne, like how to treat it and prevent it from happening again, we tapped two board-certified dermatologists. Keep reading to learn more, and remember: We're all in this together.

Ellen Marmur, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist, skin cancer surgeon, the founder of MMSphere, and a professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai.

Jessie Cheung, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist practicing in NYC and Illinois.

Stressed skin can look different for different people. "Your skin is the ultimate map of your internal health," dermatologist Jessie Cheung, MD, tells PS. "Stress activates your internal flight-or-fight response, which shuts down nonessential processes." The reason acne is one of the most common ways your body shows internal stress is because it affects the rate at which your skin cells turn over. If your body is stressed out, she says, your skin will show it.

Signs include an increase in oil production, which leads to those pesky pimples, as well as dullness and irritation in your complexion. "Stress causes your body to make hormones like cortisol, which leads to many changes in the skin including increased transepidermal water loss, dryness, eczema, psoriasis flares, rosacea, and acne," Dr. Marmur says.

Blackheads, whiteheads, and cystic acne can all occur as a result of an increase in oil production, but stress pimples usually present in one form. "[These] tend to start as deep cysts and erupt as angry red pimples," Dr. Cheung says.

They also tend to cluster around two specific areas of the face. "The increase in hormones typically makes stress pimples show up on your chin and cheeks, similar to other hormonal breakouts," Dr. Marmur says. But they can also present on the sides of the face and down onto the neck.

The important thing to remember — no matter which type of acne you're experiencing or what caused it — is to never pick at your face. Both Dr. Cheung and Dr. Marmur say this is a common issue. "I have a lot of 'stress pickers' who are stuck in the vicious cycle of getting acne, picking at it for stress relief, which makes the acne worse, leading to more picking," Dr. Cheung says.

If you've done everything you could in terms of trying to lower your stress levels but the breakouts still appear, it's time to turn to your trusty skin-care products.

"Cleansers that help to decrease bacteria and oil and exfoliate will help to keep your skin clear," says Dr. Cheung, who also recommends over-the-counter retinoids to unclog pores, like Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment ($16). "If your skin needs more than over-the-counter products, your dermatologist will prescribe retinoids and topical antibiotics. Spironolactone is a popular pill for treating hormonal and stress breakouts, as it will block the androgen receptors in the skin to decrease oil production."

If you suffer from continuous stress acne, you can also give at-home LED light therapy a try. "The blue light of the MMSphere 2.0 ($795) kills acne bacteria, and the amber light helps improve your mood with endorphins, which will lessen stress," Dr. Marmur says. "At night, my favorite is the red LED light on the meditation setting, which pulses steadily like a heartbeat and calms your mind with dopamine."

We also like the Dr Dennis Gross SpectraLite FaceWare Pro ($455), which has blue, red, and red-blue settings.

Preventing stress acne from popping up is a bit more complicated than just making yourself relax a little (which is always easier said than done). However, there are things you can do to lower stress levels, and it all starts with self-care. "Try to eat healthy foods and cut out simple sugars and refined carbs, which add to inflammation," Dr. Cheung says. "Exercising will also help your body release endorphins, which will help to counter your stress."

Whether your thing is yoga, meditation, a dance class, sitting down to read your favorite book, or listening to some music, prioritize it. "The quicker your stress levels go down, the quicker your hormones will balance and your skin can return to normal," Dr. Marmur says. "Get some fresh air and fresh perspective — turn off the news, unplug with cooking something colorful."

And, of course, both Dr. Marmur and Dr. Cheung recommend you get your sleep — it affects your body in more ways than just stress breakouts.

Jessica Harrington is the senior beauty editor at PS, where she writes about hair, makeup, skin care, piercings, tattoos, and more. As a New York City-based writer and editor with a degree in journalism and over eight years of industry experience, she loves to interview industry experts, keep up with the latest trends, and test new products.