Most of us have had an occasional morning-after with a puffy, dry face (along with other symptoms of a dreaded hangover). But if tipsy nights out have become a regular part of your routine, here’s what you should know about drinking and your skin.
We all know that drinking isn’t necessarily good for you. But what does alcohol do to your skin? To unpack this question, we’ll need to consider how alcohol impacts your body as a whole. In short, you may experience breakouts, dry skin, and accelerated aging because of inflammation, dehydration, and oxidative stress from drinking.
Here are some major negative side effects of consuming alcohol regularly:
Alcohol causes Inflammation
This is bad news when it comes to skin health, since chronic inflammation has been linked to skin conditions and noticeable skin aging.
Alcohol dehydrates your Body
Alcohol is classified as a diuretic. 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. Excessive dehydration from alcohol might not seem like a big deal in the short term. But chronically dehydrated skin will become much more visibly aged and damaged over 10 or 20 years, compared with healthy, hydrated skin.
Oxidative Stress from Alcohol can speed up Aging
Oxidative stress damages every type of cell in your body, including your skin. We’re exposed to free radicals every day through food, pollution, smoke, sunlight, and yes, alcohol. According to research, alcohol not only releases a flood of free radicals into the body, it also impairs your antioxidant defense at the same time.
To simplify it 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.
Blood Vessel Dilation
When you drink alcohol the blood vessels just beneath the surface of your skin dilate (stretches), causing redness or flushing. If you misuse alcohol, this outcome can become permanent, giving a very uneven, unhealthy-looking complexion.
Pre - Existing Skin Condition can be worsened
There are several dermatologic (skin) conditions that can be worsened by drinking alcohol including Rosacea, Psoriasis and Acne. These can flare-up these conditions making more difficult to treat.
If you don't want to skip Alcohol entirely - Stay Hydrated!
It’s important to note that you can’t completely avoid the impact that drinking has on your skin. But if you choose to drink, reducing your intake, picking the right type of alcohol, and drinking plenty of water are the best places to start.
Staying hydrated is key in shielding yourself from the damage caused by the effects of alcohol on skin. As discussed above, alcohol is a diuretic, and can dry you out. Here are some tips for combatting dehydration when you drink:
Avoid mixing alcohol with caffeine, as caffeine also has diuretic properties.
Drink a glass of water in between your alcoholic beverages.
Consume electrolytes the morning after.
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