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

Alcohol doesn’t just affect the way you feel the next day. Apart from a hangover and certain food cravings in the morning, your skin is also likely to suffer. Redness, puffiness, and even new pimples are some of the things you might notice after a night of drinking. Your skin will also feel dry, with dull and lackluster complexion. 

So, what really happens to your skin when you drink alcohol? Why does it seem to get a hangover too? Read on and learn the effects of booze on your body’s largest organ – the skin.

Dehydrates the skin

Alcohol can leave the skin dry and tight, as it is a known diuretic. It alters the function of the kidneys and increases urine production, which then dehydrates the body.  This drying effect can show up on your face or skin, resulting in wrinkles and added years to your appearance.

Increases inflammation

Apart from increasing the blood flow to your skin cells, alcohol also inflames your skin tissues. This then leads to a histamine response that creates flushing or redness of the skin. This redness or inflamed appearance can become prominent over a few years if you make drinking a habit.

Influences or contributes to acne

Although alcohol doesn’t necessarily cause or worsen acne, it can alter your hormone levels. This can influence or contribute to the development of the said condition. Many alcoholic beverages are also high in sugars (especially cocktails) and this can crystallize your skin cells. The result is damaged cells and dull complexion. 

Compromises sleep (and body’s regenerative process)

Alcohol disrupts your sleep too. While drinking may make you feel drowsy and enable you to fall asleep quickly, it lowers your quality of sleep and disrupts the body’s regenerative process. This negatively affects cell turnover, resulting in unhealthy and dull-looking skin. 

What you can do

If you don’t want the side effects of alcohol and save your skin, it is ideal to give up drinking. If this isn’t possible, you can lower your consumption or just drink alcohol once or twice a week. You might also want to drink with water to minimize its diuretic effect, as well as damage to your skin. 

Quitting and limiting your intake is the best way to go, but if you already suffer from alcohol’s effects and other skin issues, you might want to consider aesthetic treatments. At Cutis Laser Clinics, we have a number of nonsurgical procedures that can take some years off your appearance. Here are some of them:

Ultherapy 

This non-invasive facelift procedure uses time-tested ultrasound energy to lift and tighten the skin. You can use Ultherapy on the skin on the face, brow, under the chin, and on the neck. It can also improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the face and chest areas. 

The procedure triggers a natural response in the body, jumpstarting the production of new collagen. You may see an immediate effect after, but significant results appear over 2 to 3 months. Further improvements are seen up to 6 months after the treatment. It is best to consider Ultherapy as an annual treatment to counter the effects of aging.

Juvederm Volite

This skin booster injectable is made of hyaluronic acid or HA, a naturally occurring substance in the body. Volite combines with the water in the skin to improve its hydration, elasticity, and smoothness. Clinical studies suggest that its results can last up to 9 months, with significant improvement in skin quality for up to 6 months

Volite is injected superficially using fine needles. This then stimulates the body’s own natural collagen, which improves skin quality. You can use this on the face, neck, décolletage, and hands. Plumping effects are seen after the procedure, but full results are visible after two weeks. 

Titan Skin Tightening

This non-invasive skin tightening procedure uses laser light technology to promote collagen production. It can be used on the face and other parts of the body such as jowls, cheeks, and eye area. It can improve the skin’s elasticity and firmness without anesthetics or downtime. 

Titan can also be combined with Laser Genesis in 2D Skin Rejuvenation. This US FDA-cleared device uses innovative laser technology to promote vibrant skin. It can improve fine lines and wrinkles, diffuse redness/scars, minimize large pores, and treat uneven skin texture.

Schedule a consultation

Alcohol ages your skin, so if you want to look your age or younger than you are, cut back on the booze. The treatments above can also help you look your best by minimizing signs of aging. Contact Cutis Laser Clinics in Singapore today and schedule a consultation with our aesthetic doctor to find out which procedure suits you best.