Medina Azaldin is the beauty editor of ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar UK, working across print and digital features. She has more than seven years journalism experience and has previously written for Red and Good Hoousekeeping. A united group of skin care specialists from Westlake Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery, Austin’s leader in Dermatology and Plastic Surgery. For people with AUD or anyone worried about their intake of alcohol, help and support are available. If you’re not entirely sure, it’s always worth checking out the label on the bottle or can before throwing it down the hatch.
Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on Skin
Most of us are all too familiar with the pounding headache brought on by a night of white wine, and surprise surprise, it won’t do any favours for your skin, either… “Plus, beer has less alcohol in it than spirits and people tend to drink it slower so it will have a less dehydrating effect than other more potent forms.” That being said, if you drink particularly high quantities of the stuff (aka, slamming tequila shots all night long), your skin and head will suffer. We all know that alcohol isn’t great for our health, sure, it’s all fun and games when you’re singing Beyonce to a captivated audience of night bus dwellers, but it’s not-so good for your skin…
The Impact of Alcohol on Skin Conditions
But when alcohol https://sklep.noentry.pl/how-to-write-farewell-emails-with-20-samples-and-a/ swings into action, it tells your brain to hold off on making that hormone. That means you have to go more often, which can leave you dehydrated. When you drink heavily for years, that extra workload and the toxic effects of alcohol can wear your kidneys down. Alcohol’s effects on the skin can accelerate the ageing process.
Increased risk of rash and skin inflammation
If you want to cut back on drinking, but don’t know where or how to start, consider trying Reframe. We’re a science-backed app that has helped millions of people reduce their alcohol consumption and enhance their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. One reason alcohol affects our skin is because it dehydrates us. As a diuretic, alcohol promotes water loss through urine (hence all those trips to the bathroom).
Red wine contains resveratrol, an antioxidant, but its alcohol content cancels out most skin benefits. Most people report stronger nails and healthier, shinier hair within weeks of quitting or cutting back on alcohol. Use ceramide-rich what is Oxford House moisturisers like Propaira Moisturising Cream and replenish your skin barrier with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Alcohol is excreted through your sweat and can change how you smell. It may also make you sweat more and exacerbate conditions like bromhidrosis (unpleasant body odor).
- The researchers also highlight an association between alcohol consumption and worse adherence to psoriasis treatment.
- When combined with counseling, this approach is proven highly effective.
- Together, these ramifications can lead to dramatic and distressing aging of the skin, making you look visibly older—as well as potentially contributing to more serious skin health issues later on.
- Drinking different alcohols has been a part of human culture and living for centuries, with alcoholism affecting many in their day.
- Over time, overuse increases the chance of high blood pressure, strokes, liver diseases and cancer.
- Some of these are just temporary issues that you might experience the morning after you’ve had a few drinks, but other changes can be a lot more serious.
How Alcohol Affects Gut Health: What Science Says
And we know that quitting the drink can thus deliver a lot of benefits. Collagen and elastin are essential proteins responsible for maintaining the skin’s firmness and elasticity. Alcohol consumption can influence the production and health of these proteins. If you’re looking to cut down on your drinking while you’re out and about, we have some great tips for you.

Dehydration Leads to Dry, Dull Skin

Inflammation also impacts the well-being of your arteries and organs overall, which can have a domino effect on your health—once again including your skin. Admittedly, a single glass now and again can deliver modest levels of antioxidant protection, but it doesn’t beat a good daily skincare serum. Drinkaware also reports that almost 1 in 7 adults do not drink. Besides, does alcohol come out of your pores non-alcoholic drink options have never been better – I stock up on Saicho and Fortnum & Mason’s Sparkling Tea every December – driven by an increasingly sober-curious society. Mainly because it wasn’t a big part of my culture growing up in Malaysia, and I’ve seen enough friends nursing terrible morning afters for me to even be remotely tempted. Plus, as I’ve discovered, alcohol affects your skin in many not-so-great ways.
More skincare stories this way…
Finally, alcohol consumption can affect the cardiovascular system. In the skin, this appears first as flushed cheeks, but also over time as broken capillaries—better known as spider veins. Over time, acne can result in scarring, hyperpigmentation, and larger-looking pores, all of which contribute to the general appearance of skin damage and aging. Collagen is a kind of protein that the body produces which provides structure and strength to the skin; in this role, it is the most common protein in the body. Alcohol intake prevents skin fibroblasts from being able to produce type I collagen, resulting in gradual breakdown of the skin’s structure and impairment of its overall health (4).