Stress can show up on your skin before you fully recognize its effects anywhere else. Dr. Elizabeth Rostan explains why poor sleep, emotional strain, travel, work pressure, and other demanding seasons can trigger acne, eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis. She breaks down the roles of cortisol, inflammation, and skin-barrier disruption, then shares how consistent maintenance, early treatment, and the right medical support can keep a small change from becoming a difficult flare.

More for When Your Skin Is Trying to Tell You Something:

• 38. How Perimenopause Changes Your Skin
• 31. Why Is My Face Always Red?
• 24. Beauty Sleep IS a Real Thing | Why Sleep Shows on Your Skin
• 37. Acne Isn’t Just for Teens | Why It Shows Up on Adults and What Actually Helps

3 Ways to Keep Stress From Taking Over Your Skin:

• Stay consistent when your skin looks clear, because a quiet period does not always mean the underlying condition is gone. Continuing your acne or eczema routine, using a gentle cleanser, and moisturizing regularly can help keep the skin barrier steady before the next trigger arrives.
• Treat early changes before they reach a tipping point. Once skin becomes inflamed and the barrier is compromised, it may flare more easily again. Contact your dermatology team when redness, itching, flaking, or breakouts begin to increase. Early treatment can help shorten the flare and make it easier to control.
• Look at sleep and your overall stress load. Sleep supports barrier repair and helps regulate inflammation. Travel, dry weather, demanding work seasons, grief, and emotional strain can all lower your skin’s threshold for a flare. A visible change in your skin may be a sign that your body needs more support.

Welcome to Queen City Skin, the podcast where skincare meets science. Hosted by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Rostan, Founder of Charlotte Skin & Laser, this podcast here to cut through the noise — from social media myths to marketing hype — and bring you clear, evidence-based advice on caring for your skin at every stage of life.

Connect with Us:

• Website
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Facebook
• Phone: 704-333-9113

Skin changes in your 30s and 40s can feel sudden, but they usually start beneath the surface years before they become visible. In this episode of Queen City Skin, Dr. Elizabeth Rostan explains how collagen loss, elastin decline, sun damage, stress, sleep changes, and shifting hormones affect the skin through perimenopause and menopause. She walks through why the skin may feel thinner, drier, duller, less resilient, or more breakout-prone, and how Charlotte Skin & Laser helps patients build long-term plans with skincare, medical skin exams, lasers, microneedling, radiofrequency, fillers, and other collagen-stimulating treatments.

Mentioned in this episode:

• EltaMD Moisture Seal
• 20. The Truth About Estrogen Therapy | What the FDA’s New Decision Means for Women’s Health

Keep learning:

• 15. The Anti-Aging Essentials | 3 Essentials Every Skincare Routine Needs
• 36. Lasers Explained | Redness, Spots, Scars & Skin Renewal

3 Skin Changes to Watch Before and During Perimenopause:

• Collagen slows down earlier than most women expect. In the 30s, fibroblasts begin making less collagen, elastin, and supportive matrix, even when the skin still looks fairly healthy on the surface. Over time, that shift shows up as fine lines, thinner skin, dullness, dryness, and less bounce.
• Estrogen affects skin, volume, hair, and healing. As estrogen declines, skin can feel drier, wounds may take longer to heal, and facial volume can change more quickly. Many women also notice jowling, neck changes, thinning hair, unwanted facial hair, or hormonal acne during this transition.
• A smart plan protects skin now and keeps it stronger for later. Daily sunscreen, antioxidants, retinol, gentle cleansing, better moisturizers, peptides, and collagen-stimulating treatments all have a place. Lasers, microneedling, radiofrequency, and biostimulatory fillers can help support structure, texture, tone, and long-term skin health.

Welcome to Queen City Skin, the podcast where skincare meets science. Hosted by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Rostan, Founder of Charlotte Skin & Laser, this podcast here to cut through the noise — from social media myths to marketing hype — and bring you clear, evidence-based advice on caring for your skin at every stage of life.

Connect with Us:

• Website
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Facebook
• Phone: 704-333-9113

Adult acne can feel especially frustrating because it often looks and behaves differently than the acne many people remember from their teenage years. In this episode of Queen City Skin, Dr. Elizabeth Rostan explains why adult acne often shows up as painful cysts along the chin, jawline, or nose, how hormones, stress, birth control, IUDs, fertility treatments, pregnancy, and postpartum shifts can play a role, and when it may be time to move beyond over-the-counter products. She also walks through how the team at Charlotte Skin & Laser approaches treatment, from cyst injections and topical options to oral medications, follow-up care, and treatments for the red or brown marks acne can leave behind.

Products mentioned:

• EltaMD Moisture Seal

Other Queen City Skin Episodes About Acne:

• 30. All About Accutane | A Patient and Dermatology Perspective with Jane Lewis
• 31. Why Is My Face Always Red?

3 Key Takeaways for Managing Hormonal Breakouts:

• Adult acne is different from teenage acne – it presents as deep cystic lesions on the chin and jawline, often triggered by hormonal fluctuations, stress, and life changes
• Over-the-counter treatments aren't enough. Professional intervention with in-clinic procedures, topical treatments, and oral medications is often necessary
• Prevention of scarring and aggressive follow-up care are critical! Avoid picking, use proper wound care, and schedule frequent follow-ups to adjust treatment as needed

Welcome to Queen City Skin, the podcast where skincare meets science. Hosted by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Rostan, Founder of Charlotte Skin & Laser, this podcast here to cut through the noise — from social media myths to marketing hype — and bring you clear, evidence-based advice on caring for your skin at every stage of life.

Connect with Us:

• Website
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Facebook
• Phone: 704-333-9113