Almost everyone has a glass or two from time to time, right? Sometimes a bit more. Sometimes more than just sometimes and much more than a couple of glasses. Sounds worrying? Honestly, it is. Alcohol reaches all tissues of the body and affects most vital functions. We are not about to explain what damage it does to your entire body, but we are gonna talk about what it does to the largest organ – to the skin because in FOREO we know a lot about skin.
What alcohol does to your face?
It does a lot and sadly, there is no positive effect. You might feel more relaxed or more confident, but the negative lasting effects are hugely overpowering those short-term effects you feel while or shortly after alcohol consumption. According to nutritionists alcohol is one of the most aggressive compounds to destroy your skin and it affects our complexion severely.
This “news” might be a joy killer, but here is what you are doing to your skin:
- Dehydration (diuretic) effect
- Less elasticity
- More wrinkles or existing wrinkles seem more pronounced
- Skin looking dull, unhealthy, tired, and older
- Destroying collagen
- Skin problems like rosacea (redness, dilated blood vessels, small red bumps, pus-filled spots on the face)
Feel lucky while reading this, because I will not tell you far worse thighs you are doing to your entire body.
Dehydration (diuretic) effect
First and foremost it dehydrates the skin. Dehydration occurs when the body loses too much water and other fluids that it needs to work normally. You can have one or more symptoms like feeling thirsty, having a dry or sticky mouth, not urinating too much, or having dark yellow urine, you can even have a headache and muscle cramps, and dry, cool skin. Dehydration happens each time you drink alcohol. When you drink, the dehydrating (known also as diuretic) effect of alcohol means your skin loses fluid and nutrients that are vital for your body and for healthy, glowing skin.
Less elasticity
One of the first visible effects that are coming from dehydration is elastosis or the loss of elasticity. Elasticity is the ability of the skin to stretch. When there is less elasticity, there is less ability to stretch. This is highly correlated with the fact our skin contains collagen and elastin. As alcohol steadily destroys collagen, the skin will lose its elasticity over time and look saggy, crinkled, or leathery.
More wrinkles or existing wrinkles seem more pronounced
The morning after. Does it seem like there are more wrinkles? Or it seems existing wrinkles are more pronounced and more visible? Again, one step leads to another and this state is caused by dehydration.
Skin looking dull, unhealthy, tired, and older
It is also possible one can experience one or many different symptoms of the complexion. The skin can look dull, and grey, it might be bloated and puffy. One can also experience dryness, flushing, and dark circles under the eyes.
Destroying collagen
As mentioned above, alcohol disrupts the production of collagen. By doing that, alcohol actually leaves our skin much weaker and the result of this loss of collagen is more wrinkles, more sagging, and generally older-looking skin. No need to emphasize that alcohol’s effect on the aging process is much deeper than the skin.
The first thing to be seen after you stop drinking alcohol is a healthier-looking complexion.
Skin conditions (like rosacea)
Alcohol reaches all tissues of the body and affects most vital functions. There are a lot of different skin manifestations that are related to alcohol consumption, probably the most common one is rosacea, but there are many more like seborrheic dermatitis, urticarial reactions, etc. The bottom line, regular alcohol consumption can cause serious disorders that can lead to or aggravate a variety of skin conditions. If you have a concern over your skin and you think your skin does require an expert’s attention, contact your dermatologist at once. You can do a lot about rosacea and psoriasis, just need to learn about them.
Ever heard of “wine face”?
If you think you are crazy when you look at yourself in the mirror and think you look older because of alcohol consumption, you’re not crazy. I don’t know if it’s good or bad news, but the fact is alcohol can make you look old. It all comes down to dehydration, it can sap your skin out of moisture and elasticity, leading to sagginess, dryness, and wrinkles. Moreover, the older you get, the more dehydrated you are (most likely).
Is there something to be done?
It is sad how all the good work you have done for your skin seems lost. Don’t torture yourself with feeling guilty, but do approach it seriously. Do some research, educate yourself on what you can do, follow anti-age guidelines, and be persistent and consistent, and improvements will follow shortly. First thing first. Stop drinking alcohol. And we’ll go from there.
After you stop drinking alcohol when are positive signs to be seen?
Positive effects can be seen almost immediately. The majority are talking about a one-week period after they stop consuming alcohol. The first thing to be seen is a healthier-looking complexion. Our skin as our entire body has a great ability to heal itself, it can heal any trauma, so give your body the possibility to regenerate. Quitting the consumption of alcohol or seriously cutting it back will lead to improvement.
What to do next to cut back or stop drinking alcohol?
When this huge step is behind you, you can do a few more things to support your skin in the recovery process. You should drink enough water, slowly starting to raise the daily amount. Don’t ever be too aggressive to your body and give it time to accommodate new habits. Eat a nutrient-rich diet; might even consider a collagen supplement and introduce a proper, but simple skin routine that you will be able to stick to. Since the effect of your complexion is a part of the entire problem caused by dehydration, you should take into account how you hydrate your skin.
Talking to a skin expert
It is always good to talk to the dermatologist or your skin advisor you trust and who knows your skin. You might find out about some specific aspects that you should do in order to get your skin in shape.
Last, but not least… Include beauty tech into your skincare routine
Seems you went a long way doing all the right steps to get your skin in shape. There are numerous things to do and don’t forget about the maintenance of your skin as it needs a bit more of your time and attention. Among other tips and tricks, you can always do face yoga and lift and firm your skin with FOREO BEAR which will help reduce wrinkles.
If you are thinking about including beauty tech devices into your skin routine, FOREO’s UFO 2 is definitely a perfect choice. You’ll get a mask, heating, cooling, LED light, and massage. In one device.
You should have everything on your disposal that replaces salon facials as you will need to do it frequently, like UFO 2 and light therapy. Never forget, everything begins with a proper cleanse, because only then all the products you are using will penetrate your skin and do their work. Make sure to keep hydrated and check if you are drinking enough water. That should do the work!
Thank you for sharing this, some of us needed to hear this. Cutting back is the only way no matter how it makes us feel momentarily.
Alcohol use can also have an impact on the condition of your skin, hair, and nails. Dr. Joan said, “It can also result in a disorder called rhinophyma, which is a bulbous swelling of the nose, commonly known as drinker’s nose.