How Alcohol Can Damage Your Skin (And How to Deal With It)

We often talk about the impacts of consumption alcohol in the health which manifests itself in heart disease, digestive problems, hypertension and liver pathologies.

However, what is less often talked about is that alcohol consumption has consequences directly into the fur the largest organ which provides us with a primary function for life: it is the coat which covers the surface of the body and insulates it from external agents such as microbes, chemicals, heat and cold.

While some might argue that drinking excessively isn’t as risky, the reality is that even moderate drinking is capable of wreaking havoc on the skin in the hours and days that follow. In this sense, a good skin care routine can be an ally for recovery, but it will not be able to repair all the damage if drinking several drinks is a habit.

Héctor Fuenzalida, dermatologist at IntegraMédica, suggests that one of the first consequences that alcohol leaves on the skin after ingesting it is dehydration .

“Alcohol is capable of dehydrating the body and the skin is no exception. As a result, it will appear much drier, rougher and the natural wrinkles that people already have will be more pronounced. “This leads to premature aging.” said the specialist.

According to Francisca Daza, dermatologist at Clínica Alemana, as the skin suffers and is affected by this dehydration, it is likely that it will later be predisposed to suffering from dermatitis, irritation, allergies or healing difficulties.

Another effect is the redness . Alcohol being a vasodilator, that is to say promoting the dilation of blood vessels, blood reaches the skin more easily. This immediately results in redness and a feeling of heat in the face, also called facial flushing.

And why do we say that alcohol is one of the factors that most promote premature aging? Daza points out that this is due to the ddehydration, but also because the absorption of nutrients and vitamins that the skin needs is hampered by the ingestion of alcoholic substances.

Plus, the impact will be evident soon after downing a few drinks. The skin will appear dull, dry, with much more pronounced wrinkles and puffiness may appear due to water retention.

For specialists, there are situations in which it is necessary to strictly pay attention to the more chronic effects that could appear.

This is the case, for example, of people who have been drinking for years several days a week or in large quantities, who in addition to suffering damage to the liver, kidneys and heart, will also suffer damage to the skin.

“The blood vessels start to become much more visible and tortuous in these people in the face and neck. Spider veins are visible in areas such as the nose or cheeks. Small hemorrhages can appear suddenly, because there is greater fragility of these capillaries,” explains Fuenzalida.

Patients suffering from rosacea a chronic disease characterized by skin redness, constitute another group more affected by alcohol consumption: could trigger an epidemic.

“Although the disease has a genetic component, the skin reacts to different stimuli such as alcohol and other heat sources. “This will make the face dilate and reveal more veins.” specifies the IntegraMédica dermatologist.

“For this reason, one of the general recommendations for these patients is not to drink, because when they do, their underlying clinical condition worsens,” he adds.

In more complex cases, the patient could develop rhinophyma, an advanced stage of rosacea where the nose enlarges and has a bulbous appearance.

Is there a less harmful type of alcohol? Fuenzalida assures that the higher the alcohol content, the more powerful the impact could be. “Beers are less harmful because they have antioxidant properties and low alcohol content, but that does not mean they are absolutely harmless.”

Although it is obvious that alcohol consumption will have consequences, dermatologists assure that there are certain measures that can help to alleviate them a little. They should be done before, during and after drinking.

1. Do not combine alcohol and tobacco. Fuenzalida mentions that these factors combined further reinforce the harmful damage the skin experiences.

2. Hydrate yourself. Because alcohol promotes dehydration of cells throughout the body, experts recommend consuming water before, during, and after drinking water for proper recovery.

3. Apply facial care routine. Even if you are hungover, one of the steps you cannot miss in your daily life is to clean your skin, moisturize it and use sunscreen, in order to avoid premature aging.

4. Eat more fruits and vegetables. According to Daza, this step is necessary to get the vitamins the skin needs after drinking.