To Drink or Not to Drink: What Happens to Your Skin When You Give Up Alcohol

Guest post by HowTonight.com – a blog focusing on health, nutrition and many more.

There are a lot of reasons to give up alcohol. Some people do it to clean up their diets, others do it for health reasons, and still others may do it in an effort to change the physical effects that it has on their body. When we quit drinking alcohol, it certainly has a internal physical effect and since we know that our internal bodies affect our external bodies, it changes the outside too.

You probably know that the skin totally shows the effects of years worth of alcohol consumption but did you know that giving up alcohol can actually improve your skin? If you are considering giving up alcohol, take a look at what it can do for your skin and then consider if this will matter to you.

Dehydration No More

Alcohol has the ability to affect every mucous membrane in the body from the liver to the pancreas to the skin. The first effect of alcohol is dehydration, it actually pulls water from the skin. Fine lines and wrinkles are a result of that dehydration, and that makes regular drinkers look older than they actually are—sometimes up to even 10 years—but within a few days of quitting alcohol, your skin will look younger and feel more hydrated.

Inflammation Reduction

Alcohol inflames the tissue in the body and repeated inflammation of the skin can create a histamine reaction, which looks like flushing and redness of the skin. At first this may not seem like a big deal, but as an individual keeps drinking overtime, this redness may become difficult to correct and does not always go away. Reducing alcohol consumption can help clear up that flushed face.

Recommended Reading:

Dry vs. Dehydrated Skin: What’s the Difference (And How to Fix Yours)
Why You Don’t Want Alcohols in Your Skin Care
5 Ingredients That Cause Wrinkles—In Your Skin Care Products!

Clear Complexion

Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning that you urinate more, and it decreases the body’s natural anti-diuretic hormone—the hormone that helps the body reabsorb water. Less water in the body will lead to skin that is visibly parched, this can come with a whole host of issues like dry, flaky skin or make your skin more susceptible to dirt and grime getting into pores, which can cause blemishes. Staying hydrated and reducing alcohol consumption can have the unexpected results of clearing up skin issues.

Skin Regenerates

The best thing to know is that the skin, like many organs in the body, has the ability to regenerate. The rate of rehydration for the human body depends on how much damage has been done but it’s possible for every skin type. For those that have been drinking steadily for 15 to 20 years it is an amazing step to quit, but it may be difficult to bring the youthful appearance back so stay the course, stay hydrated, and use really great skin care products to boost your skin care goals.

How to Help Yourself

Whether it comes as an elective decision or a necessary one, quitting alcohol may not be easy, but you can do it, especially once you learn the type of benefits that you will reap. Of course, consult with your doctor before quitting cold turkey, but come up with a plan to quit. Hold yourself accountable by putting it in writing. Some individuals find it helpful to do a cost-benefit analysis by writing out 3 to 5 statements for the pros and cons of having a drink and comparing the pros and cons of not drinking.

Avoiding temptation all together is also a great strategy. This is more than just avoiding places and people, it is also about being conscious of your own routines and personal environments. You may also choose to share your plan of quitting with those who are close to you. These are the people that care so much about seeing your success and will be there for you when it gets rough. Additionally, you should be celebrating your success. These rewards are totally up to the individual, but absolutely celebrate your success.

References
“From Alcohol Self-Help to Recovery: Practical Tips – The Recovery Village Florida Drug Rehab.” The Recovery Village. N.p., 07 May 2017. Web. 17 May 2017.

Kim, Monica. “Why Giving Up Alcohol Could Transform Your Skin.” Vogue. Vogue, 31 Jan. 2017. Web. 17 May 2017.

“Look what giving up drink for a month can do to your face: Mother who enjoyed five glasses of wine a week is transformed after going cold turkey.” Daily Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 17 May 2017.

The following post To Drink or Not to Drink: What Happens to Your Skin When You Give Up Alcohol was first published on Annmarie Gianni Skin Care.