Unmask the Truth: How Alcohol Affects Your Skin & What You Can Do About It

Sophie DreierSober living

how alcohol affects your skin

After just seven days without alcohol, your immune system starts bouncing back. While you might not notice it, your hormones are starting to improve as well, with libido and sexual function revving back up. While heavy drinkers are the only ones who experience liver effects from alcohol, the improvements can be felt very quickly.

Severe skin conditions linked to alcohol use

The dehydrating effect of alcohol can lead to increased dryness and irritation, making eczema symptoms more pronounced​​. Moreover, alcohol can impair the skin barrier function, reducing the skin’s ability to retain moisture and protect against irritants. This exacerbation can lead to more severe flare-ups and discomfort for those with eczema. Since the skin is the largest organ in the body, without adequate water it cannot perform its normal barrier protective function or appear healthy and vibrant. Healthy looking skin needs a good balance of moisture, so drinking plenty of water helps keep your skin hydrated.

how alcohol affects your skin

Skincare Routine Adjustments

After a long night of drinking, you may not always make the best decisions for your body — like eating an entire pizza or a sleeve of Oreos. Poor nutrition and overeating can inhibit your body’s ability to fight off free radicals, which can contribute to acne, among other problems. Retinol, salicylic acid and hyaluronic acid can all help treat the effects of psoriasis. Those ingredients can be found in our night cream, face wash and morning cream — try the complete skincare set. Alcohol induces vasodilation and facial flushing in people who have rosacea.

How to Reduce the Effects of Alcohol on Your Skin?

Because excess alcohol use weakens and suppresses the immune system, when you’re drinking and UV rays hit your skin, those harmful rays can actually cause more damage than they normally would. With more UV damage to the skin, you’re more at risk of developing skin cancer. Apart from the short-term and long-term effects of alcohol on our skin’s appearance, alcohol can also be a factor in the development and worsening of certain skin conditions. In fact, research indicates that those who misuse alcohol what is alcoholism may be more likely to develop an alcohol-related skin rash or condition. Excessive dehydration from alcohol might not seem like a big deal in the short term.

how alcohol affects your skin

Are there any skincare products recommended for people who drink alcohol?

To put it simply, alcohol creates a double-whammy effect when it comes to oxidative stress. And combined with inflammation and dehydration, this can make for some very unhappy skin. This means that every time you drink, your body is flushing out extra water. And unfortunately, this can cause your skin to appear dull and zapped of its moisture over time.

how alcohol affects your skin

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how alcohol affects your skin

The colour, known as jaundice, is due to bilirubin, a product broken down from haem derived from red blood cells. The metabolism of bilirubin is impaired in acute and chronic liver disease. Excessive alcohol (ethanol) intake or alcohol abuse can result in how alcohol affects your skin many health problems and is implicated as a cause or aggravating factor for several skin conditions. Chronic alcohol use can accelerate aging by breaking down essential skin proteins like collagen and elastin, resulting in sagging skin and visible blood vessels. It’s worth noting that chronic alcohol use prevents the absorption of essential vitamins, including vitamins B and C — both of which are vital for healthy skin and immune function.

Moving Forward: Tips for Maintaining Healthy Skin in Recovery

‘Alcohol stimulates the release of histamine which dilates blood vessels in the skin,’ he explains. Plus, it can cause facial flushing for those of north-eastern Asian descent, as approximately 40% of the demographic ‘lack a key enzyme involved in the breakdown of alcohol’. While the wellbeing benefits of sobriety is well-documented, from improved mental health and better responses to stress to encouraging sleep quality and energy levels.

  • Cleansers and moisturizers containing antioxidants are particularly well known for their anti-aging properties.
  • We draw on proven science and dermatological expertise to create comprehensive skin, hair and body care that fits you perfectly.
  • Dark liquors contain compounds called congeners, which are theorized to cause worse hangovers than other types of alcohol.
  • Alcohol disrupts iron metabolism, a major factor in PCT, a rare skin condition causing fragility, blistering, and scarring.
  • It should be noted that oftentimes the alcohol isn’t the only element in these drinks that’s drying out skin and emphasizing fine lines and wrinkles—high sugar levels are to blame as well.

How to Counteract Alcohol’s Effects on the Skin

how alcohol affects your skin

Alcoholic face is a broad way to describe facial changes from excessive drinking. Redness, discoloration, and a puffy face are all obvious signs that it may be time to cut back on alcohol. Drinking disrupts sleep patterns and causes water retention, leading to puffy eyes and dark circles.

Reversing Alcohol-Induced Skin Damage

  • Additionally, when someone regularly drinks large quantities of alcohol, spider veins (or what some think is a rash from drinking too much) can appear on the surface of their skin.
  • Alcohol can interfere with collagen production, a protein that gives your skin its structure and elasticity.
  • Drinking heavily can also negatively impact your skin because the metabolism of alcohol depletes levels of B vitamins that otherwise promote healthy circulation to deliver additional nutrients to your skin.
  • Yes, although the alcohol in the drink will still have negative effects on the skin.
  • “Giving your body six months of water absorption will improve your digestion and constipation,” says Dr. Mosquera.

„However, if it’s something you are not willing to give up, there are some types of alcohol you can indulge in without feeling too guilty about its effects on your skin.“ Ready to reverse the effects of alcohol on the skin and take your routine to the next level with a customized non-surgical aesthetics treatment plan? Discover the best option for your aesthetic goals by contacting a certified treatment provider today! Using hydrating skincare products containing ingredients like hyaluronic acid or glycerin can help, too, by attracting and retaining moisture to make https://ecosoberhouse.com/ skin smoother and firmer.

The result is telangiectasias, or permanent spider veins, in the face, neck, and chest. However, these conditions can also develop in people who don’t drink at all (5). Alcoholic drinks are high in calories and have no nutritional benefit to your body. In addition to all its other health advantages, quitting alcohol has numerous benefits for the skin. To fight them, your body uses antioxidants such as vitamin A, which decreases your overall levels of those antioxidants. Alcohol has been shown to negatively impact the skin in a number of ways and create undesirable short-term side effects that, with time, can develop into more problematic concerns.