6 Ways Alcohol Is Damaging Your Skin

Alcohol use can have a bad effect on your social, mental and physical life and taking control ofyour drinking life is very important. Alcohol use can be detected through urine drug test but on top of that, many people can discern the usage by simply looking at the addict’s skin.

Understanding How Alcohol Damages the Skin

First, it’s good to understand that alcohol is metabolized by the liver from an enzyme thus releasing a byproduct known as acetaldehyde. Once released, the byproduct becomes toxic to the body tissues including the skin. As a result, the skin and the body, in general, become dehydrated resulting in a number of effects including the following:

1. Skin Dehydration

A healthy skin should be properly hydrated and this is projected through a healthy and smooth appearance. One of the effects of alcohol is that it dehydrates the body externally and internally, resulting in strong hangover thirst. This, in essence, robs the skin of its oily appearance which amplifies any pre-existing skin issues including wrinkles and fine lines.

It’s good to know that alcohol is classified as a diuretic and this means that it drains water from your body which causes dehydration. The intensity of this could vary from one type of alcohol to the other but this will show on the skin with time.

2. Redness of the Skin

Alcohol swells the tissue and this systemic skin inflammation results in a histamine reaction. In return, this creates flushing, the redness of the skin, especiallyin light-skinned people. Though this could appear just like any other kind of redness, the truth of the matter is that it intensifies with time as you continue drinking.

It is easy to arrest this inflammation and redness early enough but once you continue with drinking, the problem becomes permanent and hard to deal with.

3. Wrinkled Skin

The dehydration that happens to the skin results in wrinkles which with time will make an alcohol user appear aged than normal. Alcohol normally takes away all the fluid from the skin due to the effects on the mucousmembrane.

There is always a massive difference between people of the same age who use alcohol and those who don’t. The dehydration damage will always be evident through the wrinkledskin.

4. Facial Bloating

Many times when we talk about alcohol-relatedbloating, many people think of the gut but there is more to this than the stomach. Alcohol also causes puffiness to the skin due to the depletion of water from the body which causes the kidneys to overwork.

People who drink alcohol experience facial bloat since it causes the body to lose electrolytes and the necessary body fluids. Excess use of alcohol will always result in swelling of the bodyalthough this might be at different degrees for different people.

5. Premature Aging

The skin is sustained by some essential proteins known as collagen and elastin. These two are responsible for maintaining the skin in a strong, firm, thick and youthful look and once their production declines, the natural aging process sets in.

Alcohol consumption speeds up and intensifies the aging process due to vitamin A and oxygen deficiency in the skin which inhibits elastin and collagen. This depletes plumpness and firmness of the skin resulting in prematureaging. When this happens, the skin discolors and wrinkles appear faster than usual.

6. Change of Skin Color

Excess consumption of alcohol has an effect on the liver. As we all might be aware, the liver plays an important role in the detoxifying process of the body and once this process is affected, the skin bears the blank of the same. The effects of this can be seen through the pasty, sallow, and cold appearance of the skin especially on the face.

Dilated vessels could also be visible on different parts of the body including the belly, face and the neck. In severe cases, people with damaged liver will experience jaundice which happens when their liver can no longer effectively metabolize the orange-yellow pigment known as bilirubin. This results in the change of color of the skin and white outer layer of the eyes. 

It is important to consume alcohol responsibly and avoid strong drinks such as vodka and concentrated spirits. It is also important to reduce the overall consumption of alcohol or quit the practice altogether for the sake of your health. Alcohol users often face the problem of alcohol breath in the social gathering as it is very disturbing to others.

That said, you can always check your alcohol levels in the body by taking a urine drug test. Avoiding drugs is also advisable and if at all you are already addicted, seeking professional help is very important. Drugs have a major impact not only on your health but also on other aspects of life and thus should be avoided at all cost.