Stress Management Archives

Stress, Skin and Hair

Here is another article about the effects of stress on skin. But, instead of mentioning ways of eleviating the stress, guess what? You got it, a product to block a stress hormone! I am sure it will be by prescription only.

Stress Hormone Behind Bad Skin

Hormone-Blocking Lotion a Possible Treatment

By Daniel DeNoon

May 17, 2002 -- Skin responds to stress -- and now researchers know why. New studies show that stress hormone sends the skin's oil glands into overdrive.

The study, led by Christos C. Zouboulis, MD, of the Free University of Berlin, Germany, appears in the May 14 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Stress may upregulate the production of [chemical messengers] in the skin that regulate oil," Zouboulis says in a press release. "This is the first time a clear pathway has been shown."

The German research team found that oil glands are part of a major system through which the brain sends signals to the body. In response to stress, the brain signals production of several hormones. One of them is stress hormone, which makes the oil glands in the skin go into overdrive. Triggering of the stress system can also lead to hair loss, skin aging, and other skin problems.

"The reality is that it's probably not the one hormone, but the situation of a game between the different players," Zouboulis said.

The finding suggests that if scientists could develop a drug that blocks stress hormone, it could be put into a skin lotion that might help many different kinds
of skin problems.

"It's going to be some time before this is proven out, but it holds a lot of promise," study co-author Samuel M. McCann, MD, of Louisiana State University says in a press release.

© 2002 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.

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