Hangover Face: What is It and How Can You Prevent it?

There is nothing wrong with having fun or consuming an alcoholic beverage while you’re out with your friends. The sad part is too much alcohol can negatively affect the health and look of your skin. The most common effects include dryness, puffiness, and redness, which can then give your face a tired or sometimes an older appearance. 

Alcohol, particularly with regular and excessive drinking, can lead to the development of chronic diseases and cancers. And while a single night of drinking may not lead to these effects, it can cause changes in your appearance, leading to a “hangover face”. This simply refers to a face showing physical signs of a hangover, including:

• Puffiness
• Flushing or redness (skin looks redder than usual)
• Dark circles and sunken eyes
• Dry patches

How does alcohol affect the skin or cause hangover face?

From puffy/swollen eyes to dryness and flushed cheeks, consuming alcohol can affect your skin in a lot of ways. Below are the reasons why hangovers show up on your face. 

Increased inflammation

Alcohol is a drug with chemicals that can inflame skin tissues. This inflammation then leads to a histamine response, which creates redness or flushing of the face. It can also make the skin look swollen or puffy, particularly around the eye area or under the eyes. It can also worsen symptoms of rosacea.

Dehydration

Alcohol is a known diuretic that can leave the skin dry and tight. It compromises the way your kidneys function, making them less able to keep normal water levels in the body. It promotes water loss by increasing urine production, which can dehydrate the body. The effects are likely to show up on your skin and make other imperfections more prominent. 

Compromised sleep

While alcohol can make you feel drowsy and allow you to fall asleep quickly, it actually lowers the quality of your sleep and disrupts your sleep cycle. This negatively affects your body’s regenerative processes, hindering cellular turnover and your ability to heal daytime damage and other ailments. It can then make your complexion look dull and tired. 

Further reading: Take it Easy on the Booze: How Alcohol Affects Your Skin

Is there any way to prevent hangover face?

Avoiding drinking or doing it in moderation is the only way to prevent the effects of hangover face. There are, however, things you can do to lessen the effects of alcohol on your skin.

• Stay hydrated – Keep hydrating all through the night or event where you’ll be drinking alcohol. It is ideal to have at least a glass of water with every alcoholic drink you consume to minimize its dehydrating effects and replenish your fluids.
• Be wise about your choice of beverage – If you can, go for drinks that have less alcohol in them. Basically, beverages with low alcohol content are less dehydrating. A regular beer (12 oz), for instance, has about 5% alcohol content, while an average glass of wine contains between 11 and 13%. Spirits or distilled beverages have about 35 to 40% and can dehydrate you quickly.
• Be wary of sugary beverages – Drinks that are high in sugar can promote inflammation, which contributes to or worsen existing breakouts. You may want to avoid sweet wines or mixed drinks that are usually laden with sugar or syrups.
• Remove makeup and cleanse your face – Make sure to remove all your makeup at the end of the night. Letting dirt and cosmetics linger on your face overnight can clog your pores and contribute to inflammation. You can skip some of the steps in your nighttime routine, but be sure to cleanse and apply a moisturizer before sleeping.

How to minimize the effects of hangover face the next day

If you still wake up with a dry, red, or puffy face the morning after, below are a few things that can help you look better or a little less puffy. 

• Splash your face with cold water – or use ice cubes to massage your face. Both can minimize flushing and swelling by helping constrict the blood vessels.

• Use cold spoons – Put some spoons in the freezer and use them to treat the area around your eyes for about 10 minutes. This will also relax the blood vessels around the eyes, which can reduce puffiness.
• Use a soothing/hydrating mask – This can help rehydrate the skin, as well as decrease inflammation. Look for those with ingredients such as glycerin, ceramides, peptides, and niacinamide.
• Massage your face – This will help increase circulation and lymphatic drainage. You can use your own clean hands or a cool jade roller, starting at the center of your face and gently moving towards your ears, temples, and jawline.
• Take a bath – Soak in an Epsom salt bath with tepid or lukewarm water. This may help relax the muscles, ease headaches, and improve circulation.
• Avoid heavy makeup – If you wake up with dry skin or a swollen face, heavy foundation and makeup can only make your skin look puffier with a dull complexion. A light cream blush is enough, along with a tinted lip balm/gloss. Avoid heavy mascara and eye makeup, as the goal is to take attention away from the (puffy) eyes.

Make us your partner in skincare

Here at Cutis, we have products and non-surgical aesthetic treatments that can help improve blemishes or the look of your skin. We have cleansers, moisturizers, and anti-aging serums that can elevate your skincare and promote youthful skin. We also have skin resurfacing and skin rejuvenation treatments that can help tackle or improve:

• • Hyperpigmentation, age spots
  • Acne marks and scarring
  • Enlarged pores
  • Sun damage
  • Fine lines and wrinkles
  • Skin redness and broken blood vessels
  • Uneven skin tone and texture

If you have skin imperfections that you wish to treat or improve, reach out to us today. Contact Cutis Medical Laser Clinics in Singapore at +65-6801-4000 and schedule a consultation with one of our aesthetic doctors.