Ok sorry to be a party popper! I know most of us like a few drinks and maybe over Christmas that few becomes a few more.
We all know the health benefits of reducing or cutting out alcohol and with dry January we can benefit from this but there are many benefits for the skin too.
Here are six reason dry January and maybe a dry....er rest of the year is good for our skin.
1. Makes You Dehydrated
Alcohol is a diuretic, so naturally, it forces liquid out of your body more rapidly than normal. As if that weren’t bad enough, alcohol also suppresses the production of vasopressin, a hormone that’s responsible for helping your body reabsorb water. So not only are you flushing water out of your body quickly, you also can’t rehydrate adequately because your system is compromised!
When you’re dehydrated, it immediately shows on your face! Your skin is dry and sallow, your eyes are sunken, and fine lines and wrinkles become more apparent.
2. Creates Inflammation
Alcohol increases inflammation in your body. When systemic inflammation is present, a histamine reaction occurs, which makes your skin flush. Alcohol abuse will cause chronic inflammation which will make your skin age prematurely.
3. Prevents Restful Sleep
Alcohol messes your sleep cycle by causing you to wake up in the middle of the night and preventing you from getting your deep restorative sleep.
When you wake up the morning following a drinking binge, you’ll notice those dark circles under your eyes! Partying till the wee hours of the morning causing you to miss out on your beauty sleep, really wasn’t worth it, now was it?
4. Depletes Nutrients
Alcohol can deplete your nutrient stores. Vitamin A levels, in particular, decrease with excess alcohol consumption. Vitamin A is necessary to build collagen in your body. Collagen is essentially your skin’s building blocks and is what makes your skin smooth and taut. When collagen cannot be synthesized as needed, your skin begins to sag and become wrinkly.
5. Causes Weight Gain
Alcoholic drinks are often high in sugar and any excess calories will be stored as fat. When you become overweight, you may have sagging jowls, stretch marks, or increased health problems. All these issues can take a toll on your skin!
6. Triggers or Worsens Skin Conditions
Alcohol is a vasodilator, meaning it makes your vessels expand and allowing more blood into your vessels. When your vessels dilate too much, your capillaries can burst! This can result in unsightly spider veins!
What’s more, many people who suffer from rosacea will notice that alcohol will exacerbate their condition.