Have you ever looked at someone and could instantly tell they were an alcoholic? It’s possible because, in many ways, alcohol has the same effect on everyone.
You may notice a bloated face, dull and ruddy skin, broken capillaries and the early stages of cataract formation. You’d likely only see this in someone who has been an alcoholic for years, but you should know that these changes don’t happen overnight.
Alcohol has an immediate effect on the body, and when you’re drinking too much over time, it can definitely start to affect your physical appearance. It may take years to build up to the level where alcoholism is completely obvious, but small changes happen relatively fast
Here’s how alcohol affects your appearance.
Vitamin deficiencies
Vitamin deficiencies can cause an array of health problems, but you may see the first signs in your overall appearance. The body will send nutrients to vital organs first. Things like skin, hair, and nails always get whatever is left, if anything.
Alcohol is a diuretic, so it causes you to urinate more often and expel more nutrients. But some nutrients are more susceptible than others to becoming waste.
For example, alcoholics have a very high risk of becoming deficient in B vitamins. Here are some other vitamins that alcohol depletes:
- Vitamin C – Deficiencies can cause dry, damaged skin and are very common among alcoholics
- Magnesium – Deficiency may cause fatigue or muscle weakness, among many other things
- Calcium – A calcium deficiency can cause brittle bones and teeth
- Zinc – A zinc deficiency may manifest as acne, eczema, dermatitis or alopecia
- Iron – Severe iron deficiency can cause hair loss
- Potassium – Potassium deficiency can cause dry skin and other skin conditions, among other things
- Vitamin A – Vitamin A deficiency can cause dry eyes, night blindness, and many skin issues
Vitamin C and Vitamin A are important for many things, but they are particularly important for your appearance. This may be why so many beauty creams and potions include these vitamins.
When you think of a vitamin C deficiency, you may think of scurvy. But you don’t need to approach that level before you’ll see the effects on your appearance.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant with wrinkle-preventing properties. It prevents damage to the ever-important collagen that keeps us looking youthful.
Vitamin A encourages healthy skin cell production, and it also stimulates fibroblasts, which are the cells responsible for keeping your skin firm and healthy.
When you’re deficient in these vitamins and others, you will most definitely see the effects on your skin. These vitamin deficiencies are most likely to lead to signs of premature aging.
Dehydration
Regardless of your age, body type or tolerance level, when you drink alcohol, you will expel more fluids than you ingest. Some estimates put it at about 60 percent more. Alcohol is a diuretic.
So if you’re drinking alcohol every night, it can be extremely difficult for your body to replenish that fluid in adequate levels. This may lead to a state of chronic dehydration.
Some experts recommend that we drink about half our body weight in ounces of water daily. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink about 75 ounces of water. But this recommendation doesn’t assume any alcohol consumption. So if you drink 8 ounces of alcohol, you’ll have to add about 13 ounces to your daily water consumption. Of course, there are other factors at play and this isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, but it should give you an idea of how you’ll need to replenish.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t even come close to achieving the recommended amount of water daily. And then we have a drink or two to further dehydrate us.
Just like with vitamin deficiencies, your body will send any fluids to vital organs before the hair, skin, and nails. And without properly dehydrated skin and hair, both will become dry. Dry skin leads to wrinkles and dry hair becomes cracked and brittle. Either of these scenarios will age you before your time.
Fortunately, when you stop drinking, you may reverse some of the damage. At the very least, your skin will become more hydrated and healthy looking.
Toxic substances
When you drink alcohol, it must be metabolized by an enzyme in the liver. During the process, it releases a toxic byproduct called acetaldehyde. This can cause your skin to become extra dry, especially in your face, and it can lead to breakouts.
So if you’ve ever noticed a few pimples in the days after you’ve had a binge-drinking episode, it’s no coincidence.
Alcohol dilates your pores, which makes them like black holes for bacteria. This leads to blackheads and whiteheads. If you don’t treat those blackheads and whiteheads properly, they get even worse and can lead to cystic acne. Acne can lead to scarring which ages the skin.
Sun damage
Some experts believe that drinking alcohol can increase the skin’s sensitivity to light, making it more susceptible to damage from the sun’s UV rays.
The same toxic substance that we discussed above, acetaldehyde, can reduce your skin’s natural immunity and leave you more vulnerable in the sun.
This is one effect that you should be more aware of while you’re drinking. So even though the idea of cocktails at a pool party or a backyard barbecue may sound amazing, be careful. Apply sunscreen with an SPF of 30+ and stay out of the sun as much as possible. Sun damage is difficult to reverse, so your day drinking may have a lasting effect on your appearance.
How to stop drinking alcohol
Since alcohol is an addictive substance, it can be difficult for many people to quit. Before you start, you should know that there’s a difference between alcoholism and problem drinking. Both will have an impact on your appearance, but one is more likely to require medical intervention. Contact us about alcohol treatment.
If you re in the habit of having a few drinks every night, you might be a problem drinker. In this case, you’d have some trouble stopping or cutting back, but you wouldn’t have physical withdrawal symptoms.
If you have been drinking heavily for a long period (months or years), you may be an alcoholic. You can still quit, but you may need a bit of help to get you through the physical withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol detox can be dangerous and it’s best to handle it around medical professionals.
If you feel like you can stop or cut back on your own, start today. Go 24-hours without having a drink. And if you can, go longer. It’s okay to take baby steps as long as you’re moving in the right direction. When you get to the point where you’re completely sober or only drink in moderation, you should see a change in your appearance. Any acne should subside and your skin will look and feel more hydrated than ever before.
Many people believe that cutting alcohol can take 5-10 years off your physical appearance, but the true benefits are going on behind the scenes. When you finally develop a healthy relationship with alcohol, you’ll become healthier and your mood will improve. Removing alcohol from your life is an all-around win – especially when it’s beginning to be problematic.
