Alcohol and Skin Issues: 5 Major Problems Explained
In recent years, skin health has become more trendy than ever. Influencers and beauty bloggers create post after post about the newest creams and serums and the latest and greatest skincare routines.
Social media sells us products guaranteed to give you the elusive “glass skin” or banish your breakouts forever. While this is all well and good, there is a straightforward fix that can change your skin the way no cream or oil can. Can you guess what it is?
Give up alcohol.
Alcohol not only dehydrates your body but your skin as well. It also causes inflammation that no fancy under eye mask will solve. Here’s what happens to our skin when we drink – the more, the worse, of course.
Dehydration
Alcohol affects the mucous membranes in the body. When your skin is dry, fine lines and wrinkles start to appear much earlier than they should. This skin dehydration occurs because of a byproduct of alcohol metabolism called acetaldehyde. It is an enzyme released by the liver, and it’s toxic to your tissue.
Inflammation
When the body metabolizes alcohol, another byproduct is a type of histamine that dilates the capillaries in the blood. This causes inflammation and skin redness. If you’re a frequent or heavy drinker, this redness can become permanent.
Acne
We expect to deal with acne in our teens, but no one wants to deal with it in our twenties, thirties, or heaven forbid our forties. Alcohol not only causes more frequent blackheads and whiteheads to appear, but it also causes inflamed cystic acne, which can cause permanent scarring.
Sunburn
Who doesn’t love to (safely) soak up some summer rays? If you’re doing it while drinking, you’re causing your skin to burn faster. A recent study in Germany found that the consumption of alcohol is directly related to skin burning at a faster rate.
How does this happen? The research has shown that drinking decreases the UV blocking antioxidants in the skin, specifically carotenoids. This causes the skin to become more sensitive to UV light. Not only is there an increase in sun sensitivity, but people are less than diligent using and reapplying sunscreen while drinking.
Skin Cancer
This one is tied to sun exposure. NPR recently reported that statistics show that those who are regular drinkers have a higher chance of developing certain forms of skin cancer. Not only does skin cancer not look good, but it can be life-threatening.
Bottom line – not only does alcohol abuse mess people up on the inside, but it can change how they look on the outside as well. If you are concerned about alcohol abuse for yourself or someone you love, contact Daybreak Treatment Solution today.
At Daybreak, we offer a strong support team. You will not be alone on your journey of recovery. Contact us today and let us show you how we can help!