How Alcohol Affects Our Skin

While having a drink every now and again is fun, (and may be necessary to unwind from the stress of day to day life) prolonged exposure can have some unpleasant side effects. Most of us are aware of the internal damage that occurs from excessive alcohol intake. Things like liver, kidney and brain damage are well documented, however its effect on the skin is not something many people think about.

To understand the changes in our skin, we need to understand the way alcohol affects us on the inside. Alcohol is a diuretic, vasodilator and is processed in the liver, making the circulatory and the excretory systems the most affected. As a diuretic, alcohol increases urine production, leading to dehydration more quickly than usual. Alcohol can cause histamines to be released in the body, causing vasodilation - we can see flushing present in the skin. Over time, continuous flushing of the skin will cause weakening and eventually breakage of the capillary walls. We can see this with the fatty liver disease - rosacea connection, as well as with the tell-tale “drinkers nose”. Over time, damage to the liver can cause the skin to jaundice, and weakening of the immune system can make it easier for bacterial or fungal infections to thrive on the skin.

Alcohol intake can also aggravate inflammatory skin conditions such as rosacea, psoriasis and eczema, so if you suffer from any of these conditions, you may notice them worsen. Overall, the best thing to do is to limit your alcohol intake as much as you can. If you find this difficult, have a glass of water with every drink. While taking care of your skin with hydrating and soothing products can help to combat the external signs, making the lifestyle change will have the biggest impact.