What Effects Does Alcohol Have On The Skin?

With Lockdown 3.0 now in full swing, plus the ‘January Blues’ setting in, this can lead to an unhealthy mixture of poor diet and increased alcohol intake. But whilst we know what drinking does to our body in general, what effects does alcohol have on the skin?

Almost four in five (78%) Brits drink more than they want or intend to, according to a new online YouGov poll commissioned by Alcohol Change UK, the charity behind Dry January.

Considering alcohol’s profound mental and physical effects, we seriously doubt that your skin—your body’s largest organ—can escape a night of drinking unscathed. So, to answer this question, we talked to Dr Rekha Tailor, Medical Director and founder of Health and Aesthetics.

How bad is alcohol for your skin?

Unfortunately, it’s not good news. ‘Drinking alcohol is one of the worst things you can do for your skin,’ says Dr Tailor. ‘Alcohol is a toxin with little nutrient value and can contribute to poorer liver function, reduced immunity, hormone disruption, cell damage and insulin issues all impacting on the quality, appearance and ageing of your skin. Alcohol is also a diuretic, so you can lose plenty of skin cell-loving water from the body quite rapidly, leaving your skin dehydrated and dull.’

What effects does alcohol have on your skin?

Dehydration

‘As I’m sure we’re all aware, alcohol is incredibly dehydrating,’ says Dr Tailor. ‘Not only is alcohol a diuretic forcing the water out of our bodies, but it also makes it more difficult to rehydrate afterwards so you will be left with dry, flaky skin and your fine lines and wrinkles will be more visible thanks to the lack of fluid in your skin.’

‘If you look at a woman who has been drinking for 20 or 30 years, and a woman the same age who hasn’t at all, we see a massive difference in the skin—more wrinkles from that dehydration damage, which can make you look 10 years older.”

Redness & Inflammation

Everyone knows the sun is the number-one ager for the skin, but most people don’t realize that the second major cause of skin aging is inflammation. Alcohol inflames the tissue, and systemic inflammation to the skin caused by alcohol creates a histamine reaction—that creates the redness, the flushing of the skin.

‘What alcohol does is bring the blood up to the tissue causing inflammation so that’s why it’s harmful to the skin. That can manifest in blotchiness, redness, ruddiness, and dehydration.’

Spots & Breakouts

‘Alcoholic drinks tend to be high in sugar – white wine and cocktails are especially bad for this. If you’re overindulging too often this will instantly show up as breakouts,’ says Dr Tailor. ‘The sugar in alcohol can quite literally crystallise your skin cells (glycation), leading to less plump, supple cells and a duller complexion.’

Generally speaking it’s best to avoid any sugar-heavy wines, cocktails, or mixers, as they can increase inflammation, spike your blood sugar, and lead to acne breakouts. Stick to pure additives like club soda and lemon or lime juice to add flavour without excess sugar. 

Hormone Disruption

By interfering with the hormone system, alcohol can affect blood sugar levels, impair reproductive functions, interfere with calcium metabolism and bone structure, affect hunger and digestion, and increase the risk of osteoporosis. When you drink, it raises your stress hormone levels like cortisol and stress can put even more pressure on your immune system and then lead to skin that’s broken out.

Lowered Immune System

The good bacteria that live in your gut are known as the microbiome which can be severely impacted by alcohol. An imbalance between good and bad gut bacteria may be responsible for skin conditions such as eczema and acne so diminishing the microbiome can cause flare-ups.

‘Alcohol can deplete healthy levels of the important bacteria that live in our gut – the microbiome,’ says Dr Tailor. ‘The microbiome helps to regulate our immune system, which is important in managing inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema.’

How quickly does alcohol affect your skin?

You will notice the short-term effects immediately. 24 hours after one night of excessive drinking (three drinks or more) your skin will appear dull, slack, lined and those who suffer from acne and rosacea will see flare ups.

How long does it take to reverse the effects of alcohol?

It takes approximately three days for the liver to dispose of all the toxins from the alcohol. If you do give it up, the good thing is that your skin, like any other organ, has the ability to regenerate. The body has a fabulous rate of rehydration. But that regeneration depends on how much damage has already been done.

Top tips to repair the effects of alcohol on the skin:

Stop drinking.

Pretty obvious point to make, but now that we know all of the things alcohol can do to your skin, surely that’s enough to put anyone off having an extra glass of prosecco on a Friday night. After a month of staying margarita-free, your skin will likely be significantly healthier-looking. Your skin will have less swelling, a more even tone, and a more hydrated look. Bonus: you may experience some weight loss too!

Drink water.

And lots of it. Before, during and after you consume alcohol, drink as much water as you can. The hydration will help your body get rid of the toxins faster and replenish dehydrated skin cells to reduce the dulling effect that alcohol has on your skin.

Products & Routine

We understand how tempting it is to kick off your dancing shoes and crawl into bed after a late night, but we can’t urge you any more strongly…take your make up off before you do. You’ll thank us in the morning!

If you can muster up the energy, cleanse and exfoliate to clear the environmental toxins from the night and open up the skin pores. Using the wrong product, especially a moisturizer, can do more harm to your skin than good. ZO^® hydrators are designed to soothe irritation and refresh appearance, while ensuring that the skin’s natural moisture barrier is restored. Your skin will wake up fresh as a daisy, even if you don’t!

The key to proper hydration lies in supplementing your skincare with moisture-enhancing serums that penetrate the deeper layers of the skin rather than sitting on the surface. ZO Skin Health C-Bright 10% Vitamin C Serum contains naturally occurring lipids that replenish hydration and boost skin barrier function.

Skinade has been developed by leading UK scientists and is designed to provide a perfect ratio of liquid to active ingredients to create one of the most advanced, effective and bio-available anti-ageing skincare products on the market today. Skinade is an alternative approach to your skincare regime – a drink promotes better looking skin from the inside out.

In-Clinic Treatments

There’s a huge range of treatment options to help rehydrate and undo the damage caused by alcohol to your skin but here are our all-time favourites;

• Hydrafacials – the name says it all! Our popular Hydrafacial treatment noticeably improves the appearance and hydration of the skin, leaving it bright, clear and youthful, with no discomfort or downtime. Hydrafacial (also known as hydradermabrasion) is the ultimate skin detoxifying and deep cleansing experience. This treatment is non-invasive, soothing and non-irritating. With regular Hydrafacials, your skin will look radiant, glowing and best of all younger.
• Profhilo. Profhilo is a pure hyaluronic acid which treats skin laxity and improves skin health. Profhilo hydrates the skin and triggers collagen and elastin production. It results in the bio-remodelling of the skin and dramatically improves the quality of the skin. It boosts the natural production of four different types of collagen and elastin from within the skin.
• Laser treatments. We would recommend targeting the red appearance from rosacea by using a laser treatment using our Harmony laser. During this treatment, the laser causes the vessels to collapse which cause the redness making them less visible. The collapsed vessels are then absorbed by the body eradicating them completely.
• Gentle Skin Peels: a gentle peel perfect for those looking to refresh and rejuvenate their skin. We offer a ‘stimulator peel’ that stimulates the cell turnover reducing fine lines and wrinkles and skin tone. This is considered a lunchtime peel and will leave y43jm with a glowing and more rejuvenated skin.
• LED Light Therapy. This treatment stimulates blood circulation and hydration to energise the cellular function and stimulate cellular processes.