How does stress aggravate acne?

It is not known whether stress actually causes acne or just makes it worse. Researchers have found that a stress hormone called corticotropin-releasing hormone, which is released in the sebaceous gland, produces oily skin, setting the stage for acne development. It has also been established that psychological stress can decrease the wound healing capacity of the immune system up to 40%. This factor doubles the impact of stress on acne. Stress not only affects acne outbreaks, in general it worsens the overall skin condition. The adrenal glands are induced to create an overproduction of cortisol, a steroid which in turn makes sebaceous glands produce more oil and make skin extra oily. This is the reason why in stressful periods, people experiencing an increase in acne get more inflamed, pus-filled papules than simple whiteheads or blackheads. Since stress may be directly linked to the worsening of acne, it might be helpful to develop techniques to reduce the stress level in people suffering from acne.