While the holidays may be filled with friends, family and fun, they are also a time for late nights, not much sleep, a very unusual diet and a lot of stress. Stress in itself is hard enough to deal with on a mental and emotional level, but it also has an impact on all the systems of your body.
Most of us have experienced the issue of getting colds, flu and the sniffles a lot more over the holiday season. This is the effect of stress on the immune system. While this is an evident sign of stress on the body, stress can also play havoc with your hair and skin in a similar fashion.
If you notice specific changes in the skin on your body and face over the holiday season, it is not just the change in the weather. Additionally, changes in your hair are not just a result of the change in humidity and the added styling over the holiday season; it is also a result of changes in the body directly related to stress.
To help you to pinpoint the changes you notice that may be a result of holiday stress, let's take a closer look at what is really going on and how you can make some simple changes to not only reduce your stress levels but also reduce damage to your hair and skin.
Sleep Issues
Late nights, extra activities and trying to fit everything into the day can lead to problems sleeping at night. Sleep is essential for restoring and rebalancing the hormonal levels of the body.
Stress increases the levels of specific hormones, including cortisol. Cortisol, in turn, revs up specific hormonal levels and even changes the metabolism. One of the changes is to boost oil production in the skin. Oily skin translates into acne breakouts for both men and women, even if acne is not a normal issue for your skin.
To make things worse, makeup and harsh skin products can further irritate the skin, creating both acne as well as an increased risk of bacterial infections, red patches or even dry, flaky patches combined with very oil areas.
Additionally, people may turn to drinking more coffee or soda to get that caffeine boost. Caffeine will cause dehydration, which makes skin look dull and enhances fine wrinkles. Dehydration can also lead to increased hair loss and dry, brittle hair.
Try focusing on getting at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night over the holiday season. Get into a bedtime routine and pamper yourself with time to relax and unwind before you hit the bed.
Stress and Circulation
You may not realize it, but when you are stressed the pattern of blood flow in the body changes. The fine capillaries that carry blood to the surface of the skin to provide nutrients actually shrink so the blood flow stays to the critical internal organs. This decrease in blood flow causes the muscles to tighten and wrinkles to appear on the surface of the skin.
Lower circulation rates to the surface of the body also impact the scalp. With less blood to the roots of the hair (the follicles), there is less nutrition to the roots and a greater risk of hair loss. This is not typically going to result in permanent hair loss as long as the stress is reduced. However, for some people, the hair loss can be dramatic if there is already a lower than normal flow of blood to the hair follicles. .
Hair Color Changes
You have probably heard that worrying and stress makes your hair gray faster, and this is actually now scientifically proven to be true. Stress decreases the melanin production in dark hair, allowing it to become gray faster. While this doesn't happen overnight, the added stress over the holidays can speed up the process on those predisposed to turning gray.
The good news is that reducing stress and using a B vitamin in conjunction with a protein shampoo can help reduce the risk of graying.
Getting sleep and finding time to relax and "de-stress" on a daily basis will also help.
There are also some healthy eating habits that can help reduce the effects of stress on the body. Focus on balanced diets with lean proteins, fresh fruits and lots of vegetables. Added Omega-3s and foods with antioxidant properties including berries, dark chocolate and some nuts and beans are a simple addition to the diet to help your body manage the effects of stress.
If you are noticing a change in your hair and would like a personal consultation. Please contact the team at Unique Hair Concepts for a free, private consultation.
