Chronic stress is increasingly becoming ingrained in day-to-day life. Many forms of stress are tolerated in many societies, but the health consequences of stress are not. Stress has the appearance of an unwelcome guest who is always present. Despite many research articles linking stress to a variety of diseases, it is frequently ignored as a culprit when skin problems arise. Skin issues directly related to the gut and skin are gaining attention. 

PHYSIOLOGY OF STRESS 

More than 100 billion neurons make up the brain. These neurons communicate by sending chemicals, neurotransmitters, and hormones. During communication, an estimated 11 million messages can be processed within a single second.1 Interestingly, the brain can also anticipate or predict certain outcomes of missing pieces.2 A primary nerve involved in stress messages is the vagus nerve.  

References 

1. Mahmud, R., Akter, S., Tamanna, S. K., Mazumder, L., Esti, I. Z., Banerjee, S., Akter, S., Hasan, R., Acharjee, M., Hossain, S., & Pirttilä, A. M. (2022). Impact of gut microbiome on skin health: Gut-skin axis observed through the lenses of Therapeutics and skin diseases. Gut Microbes, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2022.2096995  

1. Khmaladze, I., Leonardi, M., Fabre, S., Messaraa, C., & Mavon, A. (2020). The skin interactome: A holistic “genome-microbiome-exposome” approach to understand and modulate skin health and aging. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, Volume 13, 1021–1040. https://doi.org/10.2147/ccid.s239367  

1. Dong, K., Goyarts, E. C., Pelle, E., Trivero, J., & Pernodet, N. (2019). Blue light disrupts the circadian rhythm and create damage in skin cells. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 41(6), 558–562. https://doi.org/10.1111/ics.12572  

1. Saif, G. A., Alotaibi, H. M., Alzolibani, A. A., Almodihesh, N. A., Albraidi, H. F., Alotaibi, N. M., & Yosipovitch, G. (2018). Association of psychological stress with skin symptoms among medical students. Saudi Medical Journal, 39(1), 59–66. https://doi.org/10.15537/smj.2018.1.21231