I’m not talking about alcohol on your skin here – rather about the alcohol you drink! Most of us enjoy an occasional drink but, like most things, too much is not good for you and it can have quite an effect on your skin too
We are all familiar with the cartoon representations of heavy drinkers, a large red nose features prominently, and it’s red because of broken blood vessels. Being realistic, it takes a while for this to occur and a lot of alcohol, but every glass you drink can cause a little bit of damage. Too much alcohol can cause a deficiency of the B vitamins, and this can lead to the skin losing some of its vitality and suppleness which in turn causes all sorts of problems, from changes in your complexion, giving it a sallow and unhealthy tone through to the appearance of spots, discoloration and broken veins. Alcohol causes the blood vessels in the skin to dilate which places a great deal of pressure on the delicate capillaries in the skin making them likely to break. This results in permanent redness in areas such as the nose, and across the cheeks where those tiny little thread veins are at their most fragile.
For your skin to remain youthful and supple you need to be well hydrated, every time you take an alcoholic drink you are dehydrating your body and especially your delicate skin. The loss of hydration caused by alcohol is not something you can counteract with moisturizers as it comes from within The occasional glass of wine, and drinking in moderation won’t have to drastic an effect but you can expect to age quicker if you drink more than a reasonable amount, government guidelines can give you an idea of what is reasonable.
A heavy night out with a few too many drinks can do more than damage your skin, and you are often a sorry sight the next day, with your face looking puffy and blotchy, never mind the headache and upset stomach! If you are going out and you know you will be drinking more than is perhaps advisable at one sitting, try and take an equal amount of water for every drink you have and you will avoid the worst of the damage.
