The stress hormone cortisol breaks down collagen. “Collagen naturally breaks down over time, but the skin’s stress response causes a rise in glucocorticoids (GC), which slow its production and ramp up its breakdown,” explains Ahmed.

Look for treatments that boost blood flow to the skin, such as microdermabrasion or micro-needling. Both processes turbo-charge your body’s natural ability to produce collagen and elastin, which provides the youthful plumpness that stress can deplete.

At home, try Swiss Clinic Skin Renewal Treatment, £115. A silver-plated face-roller creates tiny microchannels in the skin to allow the rejuvenating serum to be absorbed more effectively.

If DIY needling sounds a bit too painful, try adding a few pumps of Clinique Fresh Pressed Clinical Daily and Overnight Booster Duo, £30, to your regular moisturiser instead. There’s brightening vitamin C for day and collagen-boosting vitamin A (retinol) for evening.

Encapsulated in double-walled and air-proof chambers to prevent the potent ingredients degrading, a study showed that it visibly reduced facial lines in four weeks.

How to address stressed skin, according to a psychodermatologist