Dr. Perricone says of all the destructive pro-inflammatory and pro-aging forces that he has observed as a physician, nothing compares to stress. Many circumstances create stress in our daily lives. Arguing with family, friends or colleagues, not getting enough sleep, worrying, working too hard or even playing too hard can all create stress. Weekend warriors, who try to make up for a week of inactivity by spending hours engaged in strenuous physical sports, raise their stress levels to an unhealthy degree. Any activity that is practiced without moderation can lead to a stress response.

Stress causes certain hormonal changes in our body, which rapidly alter the function of cells in our vital organs. Not surprisingly, these effects are reflected in the appearance of our skin.

Horomones and Stress
Hormones are an important part of looking and feeling young and vital, so we want to make sure that we don't do anything that causes negative hormonal changes. In fact, as we age, all our hormone levels decline. We see a decline in sex hormones, which give us our libido, muscle mass and secondary sexual characteristics. There is decline in growth hormone, that plays a critical role in determining muscle mass, bone density, health of our immune system, skin thickness and mental capacity. We may even see changes in hormones such as the thyroid gland, which affects our metabolism.