Dry January or Drynuary has become an annual tradition for many, where they abstain from alcohol for a full 31 days. The F&B scene in India wakes up to this growing trend, bartenders have made a pivot towards zero ABV (alcohol per volume of a beverage) drinks that offer all the complexity of a good cocktail, minus the hangover.
Excess Alcohol: Your Skin Enemy
Alcohol is one of the worst, most aggressive compounds to destroy your skin. Drinking is classified as a minimum of two alcoholic beverages per day—enough to do a huge amount of damage to your skin, as it affects any mucous membranes, from your pancreas to your liver to your face.
Common definitions for alcohol misuse are below:
| Drinking in moderation | For women: 1 drink or less per day For men: 2 drinks or less per day |
| Alcohol misuse | For women: 3 drinks or more per day OR more than 7 drinks per week For men: 4 drinks or more per day OR more than 14 drinks per week |
| Binge drinking | For women: More than 4 drinks over 2 hours For men: More than 5 drinks over 2 hours |
Effect of Alcohol Intake on Skin
The exact effects of alcohol on the skin can be classified as both, short-term and long-term.
Short-term effects
These effects are temporary, and a person can notice them the day after a night of drinking.
Dehydration
Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes the body to make and release more urine. This means that the body loses more water and salt than usual.
Because of this, drinking alcohol can cause dehydration, which may affect a person’s skin.
Effects of dehydration on the skin can include:
- dry skin
- sunken eyes
- decreased elasticity
- dry lips
Tip: Having a glass of water in between each alcoholic drink may decrease the risk of dehydration.
Flushing
Flushing is a common side effect of drinking alcohol.
Alcohol may stimulate the release of histamines, which can cause the blood vessels under the skin to dilate. This can make a person’s complexion look flushed or inflamed.
Tip: If you suffer from redness – don’t drink too much red wine and avoid spicy foods as your snack of choice – these all bring blood flow to your face and can cause redness or flushing of the skin
Sleep disruption
Although drinking alcohol can cause a person to fall asleep faster, it may cause them to wake up more often during the night or not sleep at all.
One to two nights of disrupted sleep can cause temporary changes to a person’s skin, including:
- darker circles under the eyes
- paler skin
- duller complexion
- more wrinkles or fine lines
Long-term effects
Changes to the skin can be more serious and last longer if a person regularly consumes alcohol.
Prolonged heavy drinking can increase a person’s risk of more serious conditions, such as skin cancer. It can also cause skin changes resulting from alcoholic liver disease.
Some of the long-term effects of heavy drinking on a person’s skin include:
Increased risk of skin infections:
Bacterial and fungal infections are more likely to occur in people who drink alcohol excessively. Alcohol weakens the immune system and can decrease the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. People are also more likely to get injured while drinking alcohol, which can lead to skin infections.
Risk of skin cancer:
This is also due to alcohol weakening the immune system, lowering the body’s natural defense against diseases. Some evidenceTrusted Source also suggests that drinking alcohol can worsen the effects of ultraviolet light on a person’s skin, causing more damage than usual.
Changes due to alcoholic liver disease
Prolonged alcohol use can cause problems with the liver, such as hepatitis and cirrhosis. These conditions can cause multiple changes in the skin, including:
- jaundice, or yellowing of the skin
- darker skin around the eyes
- telangiectasia, or visible blood vessels on the face, neck, and chest
- itchy skin.
Six steps to protect your skin
It is possible to maintain your glow and radiance while enjoying the occasional cocktail hour. Here’s how to prevent and treat the adverse effects drinking alcohol has on the skin:
- Cleanse your face after your night out and apply a good hyaluronic acid moisturizer, such as the Balense Moisturiser, that re-hydrates the skin deeply to diminish dullness
- Drink lots of water throughout the night – not just at the end – to ensure your body can flush toxins from your system
- The general rule with alcohol is the clearer the better: vodka, gin, and tequila are all processed through our body quicker than darker spirits or beer
- Take some vitamin B and apply an eye cream the next morning. It also helps to sleep with two pillows instead of one to ensure the fluid doesn’t accumulate around the eyes causing the puffiness
- If you suffer from redness – don’t drink too much red wine and avoid spicy foods as your snack of choice – these all bring blood flow to your face and can cause redness or flushing of the skin
- To reduce wrinkles you need to provide your body with a good antioxidant such as Vitamin C Serum to help your collagen recover.
Ref: https://australianskinclinics.com.au/blog/what-alcohol-is-doing-to-your-skin/