Are you sitting comfortably? Or are your shoulders hunched over a desk? Eyes squinting a phone screen? Jaw unconsciously locked shut? All these uncomfortable tics, these posture no-nos, have become de rigeur thanks to our plugged-in, stressed-out lives. And it’s not just our backs taking the hit – it looks a long day at the office too many can give you ‘stress face’.
If you’ve ever felt like you look tired all the time, or angry even on a good day, you’re not alone. As Inge Theron, founder of FaceGym notes, “We see a lot of very busy customers and you can tell they have stress face from the tension in their jaw and their perma-frown.”
John Tsagaris, internationally renowned acupuncturist and doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, explained, “Stress manifests itself on your face in a number of ways, starting from an accumulative muscular tension - the face looks rigid and the jaw tenses up. As a result, insufficient blood and oxygen reach the skin’s layers, which leads to dull, dehydrated skin” And it’s not just a screw face that’ll be the result of permanent stress – John added, “inflammation like redness, rosacea and breakouts are all signs of ‘stress face’”.
Of course, the obvious culprit is constant double-tapping, swiping and squinting on our phones – Inge said of her clients, “So-called ‘stress face’ is often caused by them spending a lot of time creasing their forehead squinting at the tiny screens of their phones.” That being said, it’s not just those hooked on social media who are bearing the brunt of it, with John explaining, “Burning the candle at both ends all the time causes the body to be overwhelmed by oxidative stress and the inflammatory responses your body has go into overdrive. Just as oxidation leads to premature aging, this process, called inflammaging, attacks the skin, decreasing its cellular activity and collagen renewal.”
“Plus, hormones such as cortisol make your skin produce more sebum and create more inflammation, which worsens spots and skin conditions like acne (ed note – that’ll be another reason for the surge in adult acne). When you produce cortisol, your body also sends more blood to your muscles to prepare for “fight or flight” mode, so your skin doesn’t get as much oxygen as it should, resulting in a dull appearance.”
Inge agreed, saying stress does affect everyone differently, but the facial symptoms of pronounced wrinkles, spots and tired eyes were all too common.
But are we fighting a losing battle if our enemy is our livelihoods? Superwoman syndrome, or feeling the need to excel at everything regardless of the cost, is the natural successor to the message than women can have it all. Yes, we can have it all – but is that good for us? Think of all the pressures you face on a daily basis – to exercise, to prepare home-cooked food, to be high-performing at work, to be emotionally available to your partner, to keep up a social life…the list is endless. In fact, a 2015 study conducted by The Sanctuary Spa revealed that 80% of British women don’t feel good enough – despite the fact that we tick off, on average, 26 tasks a day from our to-do lists.
Inge explained “We want it all and we’re high achievers, placing more importance on climbing the career ladder and seeking validation in the workplace – but to the detriment of our health. Once you’re in a cycle of stress, you thrive off a false energy that keeps you going but it will eventually make you more susceptible to illness.”
Consider a bad skin day (or week, or month…) an invitation to examine your stress levels. After all, as John notes, “Your skin is a two way mirror to your overall health and wellbeing.”
Leading facialist, Nichola Joss told us the key to a more relaxed complexion starts from within. “Firstly, it’s really important (albeit tricky) to put away our devices, switch them off, and take a few minutes each day to sit in meditation or quiet contemplation. Relax and breathe.” On top of taking a little me-time, Nichola’s a big believer in the power of a good massage, saying ‘Facial massage is by far the best way to eradicate this. Healthy, toned and relaxed muscles make for glowing skin. It’s essential to massage your face daily. Mornings are brilliant for awakening the face and muscles and getting everything moving, while the evening is a crucial time for massage as it relaxes the muscles, removing the tension of the day and allowing ourselves to detox and prep for a good nights sleep.
Nichola recommends booking yourself in for a facial, and asking your facialist to help you devise a bespoke at-home facial massage technique, adding “Massage gets the blood pumping. This helps the skin, as by improving your skin tone, you’re feeding it with nutrients through better blood flow, and giving it plenty of oxygen.”
Massage is where FaceGym really excel. Their range of rigorous facials is less about relaxation as it is reinvigoration, with speedy but effective treatments that involve firm massage, tapping, pinching and kneading the skin, along with the use of facial rollers for a truly transformative treatment. Even their 30-minute treatment boosts big results – and the benefits get better over time, so it’s worth booking in for a block of sessions.
John’s a fan of facial massage too, and uses the traditional Shiatsu method, which has its roots in traditional Chinese medicine in his SkinPoetry treatment. John explained, “Shiatsu Facial Massage relaxes the facial muscles and induces the flow of energy throughout the face. It helps skin detoxification and improves skin tone and complexion. It slows down ageing and helps in achieving healthier and younger looking skin. The use of additional Chinese medical tools such as a Chinese derma-roller, Gua Sha or sliding cupping are also sometimes used to maximize the benefits.”
If you want big results and fast, there’s always the (slightly more) invasive option: Dr Benji Dhillon, Aesthetic Surgeon at PHI Clinic said he’s a fan of injectables: “Botox is one of my favoured treatments. It works by temporarily stopping the muscles pulling on the skin. If treated by an experienced practitioner, you should be able to achieve a natural result. I am also a fan of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers, which we can use in small amounts to gently lift the face and fill out areas which have lost volume.”
“Hyaluronic acid is something you have in your skin anyway, so by replacing it with dermal fillers it can also help improve skin quality. There are lasers to treat wrinkles, but these have to be performed by a very experienced doctor. In the right patient, we can use high-quality lasers to remove wrinkles etched into the skin. They work by stimulating the development of new collagen in the skin which leads to lines and wrinkles being filled out.”
Social media may be an all-too-popular scapegoat for our current health and lifestyle woes, but there’s undeniable merit to taking time out for yourself. Restricting the time you spend using technology to communicate with loved ones might not do much good – but cracking down on the endless scrolling, midnight emails and aimless browsing might.