How Does Alcohol Affect Skin?

If you’ve ever wondered why your skin seems to look less than its best after a night of drinking, it’s not the bleary eyes that are to blame – your skin may actually be going through its own hangover!

For more on alcohol skin, read our helpful article below.

Can alcohol damage skin?

Unfortunately, yes. As alcohol is a diuretic, it drains the body of excess water and nutrients,  dehydrating the body . Dehydration can damage your skin cells as they need water to function properly.

Alcohol also produces a toxic by product called acetaldehyde. If not metabolised properly, acetaldehyde releases histamine.

Ever noticed red and ‘angry’ looking alcohol rashes when you drink? Histamine is usually the culprit. It causes inflammation and flushing of the skin. It’s the reason that alcohol and itchy skin often go hand in hand.

Alcohol also dilates the blood vessels under the skin, causing a reddened complexion.

What are the main effects of alcohol skin?

• Dry and flaky skin , especially after applying make-up
• Sunken eyes and dark circles
• Sagging skin
• Alcohol rashes, commonly on your face and chest
• Dull complexion
• Blemishes, flushed skin, and acne
• Puffier skin
• Decreased skin elasticity increasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Yellowing skin and of the whites of eyes (namely from frequent, excessive alcohol consumption)

Is ‘alcohol face’ a real thing?

Short answer? Yes. It’s not just a scary story.

Long-term drinking can lead to what people often call ‘alcohol face’. Put simply, it’s a build-up of all the skin side-effects we’ve been talking about.

Think dehydration, poor nutrition, and increased blood flow - all teaming up against your complexion.

Over time, this can show up as persistent redness, puffiness that doesn’t quite go away, and skin that looks a little more tired (even on your well-rested days). You might also notice more pronounced fine lines, a loss of firmness, and an overall bloated appearance.

In other words, ‘alcohol face’ is not one single symptom. It’s the cumulative effect of alcohol taking a toll on your skin - one drink at a time.

How much alcohol leads to alcohol skin damage?

If drank frequently enough (more than twice a week), you could see long-term alcohol skin damage from drinking.

Every time you drink alcohol, the alcohol dehydrates your body. It drains your skin of vital nutrients. The result? Dehydrated, tight skin. Every single time.

Of course, the more alcohol you drink, and the more frequently that you drink it, will have a greater effect on any skin damage you might experience. The UK Chief Medical Officer advises drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol a week , with several drink-free days to prevent long-term damage, especially to the liver. 

Does alcohol skin damage get worse with age?

Yes, the effects of alcohol skin do get worse with age.

Wondering why? It all comes down to metabolism, age, and frequency of drinking:

• Alcohol is less easily metabolised in the body as we get older as our livers become poorer at processing alcohol. This in turn makes flushing out the toxins a tricker task for the body, causing more dehydration and poorer skin health.
• Our skin produces less collagen as we get older , reducing its structural integrity and causing a sagging appearance, along with fine lines and wrinkles. The dehydrating effects of alcohol on the skin can therefore appear more pronounced. 
• If you’re drinking consistently, alcohol has more time to make an impact on the skin’s appearance.

Is alcohol skin damage reversible?

Alcohol hasn’t had the world’s most glowing review in this article, but there is a silver lining for you here. You can reverse alcohol skin damage.

As many of the downsides from alcohol consumption are temporarily caused by dehydration, you can help to minimise the effects by simply cutting down on alcohol.

You should also try to stay nicely hydrated, every day. After all, your skin is your body’s biggest organ. It needs care to keep it functioning normally. This includes giving it plenty of nourishment from water, sunlight (for vitamin D), and cutting back on the stuff that it doesn’t like - we’re talking alcohol and other inflammatory-inducing products.

If you’ve consumed a lot of alcohol over a long period of time, and you have long-lasting effects, such as rosacea or jaundice, then these will be trickier to remedy.

However, you can always prevent alcohol skin damage from getting worse. It all comes down to minimising or eliminating your alcohol consumption.

4 top tips to prevent alcohol skin

To mitigate the effects of alcohol skin damage, try the following tips:

• Try to limit the amount you drink. Remember, alcohol has both long and short-term effects on the skin every time you drink.
• When you are drinking alcohol, drink plenty of water between units. In fact, it is advisable to always drink plenty of water ( between 6-8 cups per day ) to support the healthy function of your body’s major organs, including your skin.
• Take vitamins to up your nutrient intake, especially vitamin C. Vitamin C helps to stimulate collagen production and can also assist in fighting alcohol-induced free radicals.
• Use good quality skincare products. Proper skin hydration requires the double whammy of not just drinking lots of water, but also hydrating the skin from the outside in with gentle, rich moisturisers and collagen-boosting serums . Look for skincare products with hyaluronic acid , glycerine, and ceramides. If they also contain vitamin C , then bonus points for you.

If you have any questions about how to combat the effects of alcohol on your skin, or want to know the best ways to up your skincare routine , just get in touch with our friendly team today!

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