How does stress cause wrinkles?  <br><br>

Cortisol(the stress hormone) degrades collagen. When you consider what exactly a wrinkleis -- a weakening and lessening of collagen and elastin fibers in the skin’sdermis -- it’s easy to understand how stress, then, can directly cause wrinkles.When you live in a chronic state of stress, routinely bathing your body in cortisol,it becomes harder and harder for the skin to repair itself naturally, continueto form healthy collagen and elastin, and deal with damaged areas. At the sametime, your body is responding to the stress through inflammatory pathways,which can exacerbate skin issues.<br><br>

If you can decrease your levels of cortisol and increase your levels of beta endorphins, which act as anti-inflammatories in the body as well as in skin, you can reverse this damage. It’s a win-win when you can control your cortisol levels and maximize your beta endorphins. How do you increase your beta endorphins? Restful sleep and frequent sex and exercise are three great ways.<br><br>