Immediate effects nowadays, for the grown-ups like us, it is considered weird to go on a night out with your friends and not have at least a beer or a glass of wine. While many men and women consider this natural, few of them are aware of the effects the alcoholic beverages have on their skin. Regardless of whether you are enjoying a couple of beers at the local pub or having a fine glass of wine over dinner, this good-time drink will leave both its short and long term marks on your complexion. Let’s summarize the effects of alcohol in a chronological manner and their potential fixes.
More often than not, people are not really preoccupied about the side effects that one single night of drinking will leave on their skin. After all, it’s Saturday and you will be getting you beauty sleep the rest of the week. Even though it’s occasional, a heavy night of drinking is one of the leading causes of fine lines and wrinkles, especially for the area underneath the eyes. On a side note, the aforementioned zone is the most vulnerable to alcohol dehydration because it is not able to produce a sufficient level of moisture on its own.
In order to prevent waking up 10 years older, it is advisable to combine alcoholic with non-alcoholic beverages to keep yourself and your skin hydrated. An alternative implies eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables while you drink.
Mid-term effects
Because it will dilate blood vessels, one of the marks you should expect to see on your skin, if you consume alcohol, is flushing and facial redness. Redness is a common sign of heavy drinkers and has the potential to leave permanent marks on your skin. In other words, as alcohol dilates blood vessels you could end up with permanent facial redness and visible spider veins. Even though these signs are more noticeable on the face, it is not completely excluded that they extend to the rest of the body.
Moreover, since alcoholic beverages are sometimes perceived as allergens, particularly by the female body, consuming it on a regular basis is a surefire way to exacerbate current skin conditions. Therefore, if you are suffering from rosacea, psoriasis, acne or eczema it would be wise to give up alcohol for good.
Long-term effects
In the eventuality that you only consume alcohol occasionally, then the “good” news is that you will only have to worry about the short and mid-term effects of your hobby. However, if you consume a fairly large amount of alcohol on a daily basis, then you are slowly and surely destroying your skin. It is necessary to mention that among the most common effects of alcohol abuse on the skin there are also some indicators of serious conditions, such as:
- Jaundice or yellow skin could be a symptom of serious liver damage
- Red palms could suggest a liver-related condition
- Increased UV damage (dark spots or hyperpigmentation) even though you are using a high SFP sunscreen
- Itching and dryness of the skin
- Increased frequency of skin infections
