Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/148952
ascp and you: finer points Understanding the Stress Response Why does skin react the way it does? by Susanne Schmaling SS STRE The link between skin health and a person's stress level has been substantiated by many studies. Whether you address clients' stress through your own treatments (see page 12) or by guiding them to another professional in your referral network (see page 9), it's helpful to understand the physical reasons why stress affects the skin. A Response to Danger Stress occurs as an automatic response to anything the brain identifies as a threat. To our primitive ancestors, this usually meant a physical danger, so the body winds itself up to a fever pitch, ready to fight or run away fast (the fight-or-flight response). Clearly, these are not very useful solutions to typical modern problems! However, it is still the way our bodies work, and so the stressed person lives in a state of constant high alert, physically reacting to a danger that may not even exist. It is important not to make judgments about a client's stress based on how you think you would react in the same situation. Any given situation may be intensely stressful for one person, while another person might find it only a little stressful, and a third person may even find it motivating. 34ASCP Skin Deep September/October 2013 From the Brain to the Skin The brain's identification of an environmental, physical, or psychological stressor will start a chain reaction within the body, eventually impacting the skin's barrier function. The stress reaction in the skin is very complicated, but researchers have identified many aspects of what happens. Here is a simplified outline of the process: 1. stressor is recognized by the brain. A 2. he hypothalamus, adrenal glands, and pituitary gland are T activated, releasing hormones and enzymes to stimulate the fight-or-flight response. 3. nflammation increases in the body due to the surge of I hormones and enzymes. 4. he immune system is activated in response to the T inflammation. Some of the resulting enzymes and peptides have the effect of reducing the skin's protective barrier. 5. kin health is impacted. S