5 Ways Alcohol Affects Your Skin and Hair

Drinking alcohol can cause various negative effects on your body, especially when it is consumed on a regular basis. That includes damaging your skin and your hair.

So, let’s take a look at five of the different ways in which your skin and hair can be affected by both short-term and long-term alcohol consumption.

Ways Alcohol Affects Your Skin and Hair

1. Alcohol Causes Dehydration, Which Can Dry Your Skin 

One of the short-term effects that alcohol has on your body is dehydration. That’s because alcohol is diuretic, which means it causes your body to generate and release more urine. In turn, that leads to your body losing more water and salt than it would normally.

And when your body is dehydrated, your skin can be affected. You could find you have dry skin, dry lips, and decreased elasticity of the skin.

If you drink alcohol regularly, those short-term effects have the potential to become long-term effects. One way of combating dehydration while still enjoying alcoholic beverages is to drink plenty of water between each alcoholic drink. 

2. Alcohol Can Cause Flushing of the Skin

Another common short-term effect of drinking alcohol is that it can cause flushing of the skin. That’s because alcohol can stimulate the release of histamines, which can make the blood vessels under your skin dilate. In turn, your complexion can look flushed or inflamed.

East Asian people are especially prone to facial flushing related to alcohol consumption. Again, if you consume alcohol regularly, short-term flushing could turn into a long-term problem.

Indeed, if you find you’re drinking alcohol on a regular basis, you could experience other problems besides dry skin. Besides other health problems like an increased likelihood of strokes and heart attacks, you could find you have an alcohol dependency problem.

If you suspect you have a drinking problem, you should seek professional help in your local area, such as going to a rehabilitation center where qualified professionals can assist you in overcoming your alcohol dependency.

3. Alcohol Can Increase the Risk of Skin Infections and Even Skin Cancer 

In the long term, drinking alcohol in excess can increase the risk of skin infections, such as bacterial and fungal infections. That’s because alcohol weakens the immune system. In turn, that can decrease your body’s capability of absorbing nutrients.

A weakened immune system also lowers your body’s natural defense against diseases. Furthermore, drinking too much alcohol can worsen the effects that UV light has on the skin, which means people who drink alcohol excessively increase the risk of getting skin cancer. 

4. Alcohol Can Cause and Worsen Skin Conditions 

If you already have a skin condition, regular alcohol consumption can aggravate it. Alcohol can also cause skin conditions.

Ones that can develop from drinking alcohol regularly include rosacea, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, discoid eczema, and porphyria cutanea tarda. 

5. Alcohol Can Damage Your Hair and Lead to Hair Loss

It’s not only your skin that can be affected by drinking alcohol regularly. Over time, alcohol consumption can cause your hair to become dry and brittle. It can lead to hair breaking and excessive hair loss. That’s due to the combination of malnutrition and dehydration that alcohol can cause.

Once you start to lose hair, it can be difficult to rebuild it. So, if you don’t want to end up with skin and hair problems, it’s best to avoid drinking alcohol on a regular basis.

That’s because alcohol can stimulate the release of histamines, which can make the blood vessels under your skin dilate, potentially interfering with Natural Remedies To Treat Fungal Infection on Scalp.

This was it for today. Hope you have found the article helpful. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Have a Good Day.