Alcohol and Skin Problems

A drink every once in a while helps us calm down and relax. In fact, alcoholic drinks (such as wine) when consumed in moderation are healthy for the body. However, overdo it and you are putting your body at a great amount of risk.

Several organs and functions of your body are affected when you keep downing glass after glass of your favourite alcoholic drink, and one of these organs is the skin. Yes, there is a strong relation between alcohol and skin problems, and your skin can be badly affected if you don't control the amount of alcohol you consume.

How does your skin get affected? Let's take a look.

Skin problems that are caused by alcohol occur due to several reasons. For one, the liver becomes weak, thereby reducing its ability to eliminate harmful toxins from the body, that then begin to affect the skin.

Secondly, too much alcohol depletes the reservoir of vitamins in the body, particularly vitamin A and vitamin C, two very important vitamins for healthy skin, further causing and aggravating several skin conditions. There are both short-term and long-term effects of consuming excess alcohol on the skin. These have all been discussed below. Take a look.

You may find that immediately after drinking a substantial amount of alcohol the skin on your face and body tends to redden and may even appear blotchy. This is because when you drink, your blood vessels dilate and remain so till the alcohol leaves your body. As such, the surface of your skin starts looking red and blotchy.

Alcohol also causes dehydration which in turn makes the skin dry. If you already suffer from dry skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, drinking may worsen them further. In effect, any remedy for these conditions will be hindered by the consumption of alcohol.

A condition characterized by pink patches on the face, broken blood vessels, acne like bumps, and red eyes can only worsen by excessive consumption of alcohol. A lot of fair people tend to suffer from this condition, and it cannot heal as long as too much alcohol is being consumed.

While some people suffer from reddened skin upon drinking too much alcohol, there are others whose skin tends to become sallow, pale, and colorless over time. The freshness from skin is lost and it starts looking weak and tired.

Your liver becomes weak as you continue consuming alcohol in large amounts, as it has to work overtime to rid the body of all the toxins that alcohol contains. When your body has excessive toxins that are not easily released, it can result in acne all over the body.

The weakening of the liver not only causes acne but can also result in a number of other skin and health problems.

As your skin weakens it is easier for it to develop wrinkles, fine lines, and crow's feet on your face, including all those signs of aging that you are actually trying to avoid. In short, drinking too much alcohol can cause you to age at a much faster pace.

As you can see, there is a huge difference that drinking alcohol makes to your skin. The weakened skin makes you look weaker. You tend to look much older, tired, and devoid of any energy. Looking like that is definitely not very encouraging because it can hinder your performance in other areas of life.

You simply must cut down on your drinking if you wish your skin to come back to its healthy self. Thereafter, giving your skin the necessary care, changing your diet, and exercising will further aid the process of bringing your skin back to life.

You can stay away from alcohol and the skin problems it causes if you firmly decide to put your health before your (unhealthy) desires.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only and does not, in any way, attempt to replace the diagnosis of an expert. Visit a doctor to address any skin problems that may be caused due to excessive alcohol consumption.