What Is Fanxiety Face? How Watching Sports Affects Your Skin

By its nature, sport brings with it a lot of stress for fans. Any sports fan knows that it is normal to experience strong emotions and anxiety while watching a game. In fact, it's even exciting. Every week can feel like a roller coaster. Only ask Taylor Swiftwhich helped bring attention to a disturbing skincare phenomenon: the “anxious face.”

Anxious facial expression involves unconsciously and habitually making sudden movements of the face as a reaction to excitement or anxiety when cheering for your favorite team or player. Beyond Inner Manifestation spectator stressit can also have long-lasting effects on your skin. Below, we'll break down what an anxious face is and whether you should worry about it.

Experts featured in this article

Angela BrimhallDO is a board-certified holistic dermatologist and owner of Sage Dermatology.

Muneeb ShahMD, Certified Dermatologist and Founder of Remedy Skin.

Jamie GlickMD, board certified dermatologist in New York City.

What is an anxious face?

Coined on social media, anxiety is the anxiety associated with strong emotions that come with being a sports fan, which can result in an anxious face. The viral term describes signs of facial tension that occur during particularly stressful moments, such as watching a sporting event. “This refers to the involuntary muscle tension, frowning, wrinkles and wrinkling of skin that can occur when a person experiences anxiety or stress,” says the board-certified holistic dermatologist. Angela BrimhallBEFORE, he says. “If repeated over and over again, it can even lead to premature signs of aging and worsen existing skin conditions.” An anxious face typically affects the forehead, including the glabella (called the 11 lines), the area around the eyes where crow's feet can become more pronounced, and the areas around the mouth, “where stress can lead to tension that can create marionette lines,” adds Dr. Brimhall.

What causes an anxious face?

While the term is cute and memorable, the effect of the anxious face is not. “The emotional stress and anxiety experienced during high-stakes gaming often triggers this,” says Dr. Brimhall. Constant exposure to strong emotions while cheering on your favorite sports team and intense facial movements causes fine lines and wrinkles to deepen, says a board-certified dermatologist. Muneeb ShahDoctor of Medical Sciences.

If you constantly furrow your brows, concentrate hard, and purse your lips tightly when stressed, this can lead to the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles over time. “The body responds to stress by releasing cortisol, which leads to inflammatory complications in the skin,” says Dr. Brimhall.

Your age and the condition of your skin, such as sagging and collagen levels, can be important factors in whether your anxiety actually results in a restless face. “We are talking not so much about the timing of the development of an anxious face, but about the age at which facial wrinkles appear. Starting around the age of 20, your skin may not recover as quickly as before. The more you make a face like this, the more likely it is to stay that way,” says Dr. Shah. Keep in mind that sun exposure, skin color, muscle strength and facial structure also determine how wrinkles will form, says a board-certified dermatologist. Jamie GlickDoctor of Medical Sciences.

How to prevent facial anxiety

The onset of an anxious face varies greatly from person to person. Sure, turning off the game can help, but let's face it: being an outsider to a sporting event is both exciting and exhilarating. Who would want to give that up for a few wrinkles? There are less serious things you can do than abruptly abandon your favorite team.

“Prevention is key, especially during play,” says Dr. Brimhall. “A simple facial massage can help relieve tension. I recommend techniques such as gentle circular motions across the forehead and temples, and light tapping around the eyes and eyebrows to promote relaxation. [during the game]Dr. Shah says being aware of facial movements and actively trying to avoid repeated contractions, such as squinting when feeling anxious, can prevent wrinkles from deepening and forming.

Perhaps your best line of defense (pun intended) is active preventative treatment and skin care. “Botox or similar products – Dysport, Xeomin, Jevo and Daxifyfi is one of the best ways to prevent wrinkles,” says Dr. Glick. chemical peelinglaser resurfacing and microneedling “can also help rejuvenate and repair damage over time,” says Dr. Brimhall.

Finally, Dr. Brimhall recommends practicing attentivenessespecially when the stakes are high. “Incorporating relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or even short meditative breaks during playtime can help alleviate the physical manifestations of anxiety. Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your skin.”

Taryn Brook is a beauty writer and editor born and raised in New York City who has been working in digital media for over 10 years. She writes beauty articles for PS, Allure, Byrdie and Well+Good.