Many office workers share the same puzzled complaint: they leave home looking polished and put-together in the morning, but after spending most of the day at the office, their complexion turns dull, their skin becomes dry and itchy, their head feels foggy, and by the time they get home they seem to have aged several years 鈥?as if the job itself is making them less attractive.
"Feeling less attractive because of work is not just a joke, and it may not simply be caused by staying up late or being under great pressure. In fact, it is possible that the office environment is quietly dragging down people's appearance," said Dr. Han Chao, director of the Plastic Surgery and Dermatology Department at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Xinhua Hospital).
White-collar workers in office buildings are not as glamorous as they appear
Dr. Han said that not long ago, a 28-year-old woman surnamed Liu, who regularly came to his clinic for skin care, told him that she had recently joined a large internet company in Hangzhou's CBD but had developed strange symptoms. After only three months on the job, she frequently experienced afternoon headaches, itchy skin, excessive facial oil, and dry eyes, which caused a significant drop in her concentration. What was even more puzzling was that many colleagues in the same work area reported similar discomfort, and the symptoms clearly worsened after 2 p.m. each day, yet within one to two hours of returning home, the headaches and dry eyes eased on their own.
Similarly, another patient in Dr. Han's clinic, a 35-year-old male employee, had moved into his consulting firm's newly renovated office just one week after the renovation was completed. He had no previous history of allergies, but gradually developed facial itching and redness along with dryness in his eyes and nose. When he stayed home to rest on weekends, his skin discomfort improved, but as soon as he returned to the office on Monday, it immediately flared up again, and many colleagues also experienced throat discomfort and dizziness at the same time.
Regarding these two cases, Dr. Han explained that they are typical manifestations of sick building syndrome, or SBS. The World Health Organization formally defined the concept of sick building syndrome in 1979. It refers to a series of nonspecific symptoms experienced by people who live or work in a particular building, caused by the combined effects of indoor environmental factors.
"Feeling less attractive because of work" is real
Sick building syndrome has four key characteristics: discomfort arises quickly after entering the building; multiple people in the same space are affected as a group; symptoms clearly ease several hours after leaving the building; and it is triggered by the combined effects of multiple pollutants, making it very difficult to pinpoint a single source.
Dr. Han explained that the common health effects of sick building syndrome are skin itching and redness, irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as systemic reactions such as headaches, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. Among these, skin itching and redness is the most direct manifestation of what could be called the office's "invisible killer of good looks."
Numerous studies have shown that offices contain many hidden factors that harm the skin. Air conditioning running year-round can push indoor humidity down to 30% to 40%, far below the 50% to 60% that is suitable for the skin. When the stratum corneum loses moisture, the skin barrier is damaged, leading to tightness, flaking, and the accentuation of fine lines, as well as an oily-outside-dry-inside condition in which the skin spontaneously secretes more oil to "save itself."
Frequent temperature changes also strain the skin. Rushing from the hot outdoors into an air-conditioned office in summer, or switching back and forth between heated rooms and the outdoors in winter, causes skin blood vessels to repeatedly constrict and expand. For sensitive skin, this can lead to redness and worsened broken capillaries, and the skin's tolerance decreases accordingly.
In addition, sealed office spaces with insufficient ventilation allow dust, dead skin flakes, PM2.5, and printer toner particles to float in the air. These adhere to the face and clog pores, easily causing closed comedones. If air conditioning filters are not cleaned for a long time, the air that blows out can even carry mold and bacteria, irritating both the skin and the respiratory tract.
Prolonged exposure to electronic screens also plays a role. Although blue light does not directly cause tanning, it can worsen skin oxidation and trigger dullness and pigmentation. Combined with prolonged sitting without movement and frequently forgetting to drink water, blood circulation slows and the skin receives less blood supply. Add to that staying up late and getting insufficient sleep, and the skin's ability to repair itself declines, making the whole person look sallow and dull.
"Many people mistakenly believe that worsening skin and dizziness are simply due to poor constitution or being too tired from work. They repeatedly try to treat the symptoms but see little effect, overlooking the office environment as the root cause," Dr. Han warned.
These small changes may help save your appearance
Environmental self-rescue: open windows regularly for ventilation when conditions allow, for 15 to 30 minutes each time; remind property management to clean air conditioning filters and ducts on a regular schedule; place a small humidifier at your workstation and try to maintain indoor humidity at 40% to 60%; get up and move every one to two hours and go to the hallway to breathe fresh air.
Skincare tips: focus on basic moisturizing, keep a hydrating spray on hand for dry skin, and touch up your skincare during lunch breaks; even if you sit by a window, use indoor sunscreen; in the afternoon, gently cleanse your face to reduce the buildup of dust and particulate matter; drink more water and do not wait until you are thirsty to replenish fluids.
Identifying warning signs: if symptoms only occur on workdays and improve at home, suspect environmental factors first and suggest that your workplace test carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, and similar substances; if symptoms persist even after leaving the office and are accompanied by fever or severe coughing, seek medical attention promptly to rule out other diseases.
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