A wave of women on TikTok, Instagram and Reddit have described skin, hair and overall health improving after ending relationships with partners they described as stressful, prompting Allure to ask medical professionals whether the phenomenon has a physiological basis. Psychotherapist Laurel Steinberg, PhD, said women in heterosexual relationships can carry a heavier mental and emotional load at home, which she says leads to more chronic stress and worse health markers than their partners experience.
Board-certified dermatologist Keira Barr, MD, said heightened cortisol and inflammatory signaling "can send the skin down a path of breakouts, sensitivity, dehydration, dullness, slower healing, and a generally less rested appearance." Plastic surgeon Lara Devgan, MD, said removing a stressful partner can function like a beauty intervention, since people often also start sleeping better, eating better and following through on skincare routines once the stress is gone.