Regular heavy drinking can dehydrate your skin and make you look older than you are and less healthy.
Skin problems
Alcohol use can cause or worsen skin problems.
It can:
- dry out (dehydrate) your skin
- trigger flare-ups of conditions such as rosacea, eczema and psoriasis
- lead to early ageing and acne
Dry wrinkled skin
Alcohol has a diuretic effect. This means it causes your body and skin to lose fluid (dehydrate).
Dry skin wrinkles more quickly. It can look dull and grey.
Losing water from your body also causes you to lose vitamins and nutrients. For example, vitamin A. This vitamin is important for skin health.
Other skin problems
Alcohol can cause some skin conditions to flare up. For example, rosacea.
Sign of rosacea include:
- broken vessels or redness on your face
- dilated blood vessels
- small red bumps
- pus-filled spots on the face
Most people with rosacea say cutting back on alcohol helps to reduce flare-ups.
Benefits of cutting down or giving up alcohol
Bloating
Alcohol can cause water retention in your face. This makes your face look bloated and puffy.
Bloodshot eyes
Alcohol can irritate the blood vessels on the surface of your eyes, making them bloodshot.
Dry, thinning hair
Alcohol dries your hair as well as your skin, making it more likely to break and split.
Unpleasant smell
The liver breaks down most of the alcohol you drink so that it can be removed from the body. But some alcohol leaves the body through your breath, sweat and pee. This can cause an unpleasant smell.
How alcohol affects your liver
Weight gain
How alcohol affects your weight is complicated and can depend on a number of things.
These include:
- how much and how often you drink
- what you drink
- your genetics
- your age
Non-urgent advice: Get help with problem alcohol use
For confidential advice, freephone 1800 459 459.