Anyone who’s had a rough week knows the look: puffy eyes, dark circles, the sudden appearance of fine lines. “We call it stress aging,” says Manhattan-based dermatologist and psychiatrist Amy Wechsler, MD. “Daily stressors such as a demanding job, a lack of sleep, and an unhealthy lifestyle can manifest as pallid patches, pimples, and wrinkles, which can add three to six years to your skin.”
As dermatologist Whitney Bowe, MD, author of The Beauty of Dirty Skin, explains, “Stress slows down digestion, which creates a shift in bacteria that can compromise the integrity of your gut lining. This can cause inflammation throughout the body and lead to acne flare-ups as well as premature aging.” Furthermore, the stress hormone cortisol is no friend to skin. “It’s infamous for breaking down collagen,”…
