Alcohol applied externally helps to deal with some skin and hair problems, but when drunk in large quantities it is definitely harmful to your beauty. So before you reach for another drink, find out what effect it will have on your skin, hair or nails.
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A glass of red wine once in a while will not only do no harm, but may even have a positive effect on the skin thanks to its antioxidants, invaluable in the fight against free radicals, which are responsible for accelerated aging. But this is just the exception that proves the rule. Because alcohol undoubtedly relaxes and facilitates interpersonal contacts, but it only seemingly adds beauty. Although after drinking one drink your eyes sparkle and your cheeks blush, regular drinking can cause damage that no cream can compensate. What exactly?
Skin dehydration after alcohol
Alcohol is treated by the body as a toxin. Once it reaches the kidneys, they begin to neutralize it, which requires a large amount of water. This is why after drinking a few glasses of wine you have to use the toilet often – every 250 ml of alcohol produces 500 ml of urine, which easily leads to dehydration of the body, including the skin. It becomes dull, more sensitive and prone to irritation. It is less resistant to external factors such as sun, wind, frost and sudden changes in temperature. It also reacts worse to cosmetics – it is more easily irritated and absorbs care ingredients less easily. Dehydrated skin looks tired, and in the long run it takes on an ugly, gray shade.
Alcohol and puffy eyes
In addicts, alcohol inhibits the secretion of vasopressin, a diuretic hormone – for this reason, the kidneys work slower, which may cause the skin under the eyes to become swollen and blue.
Alcohol contributes to the development of cancer
Earlier and deeper wrinkles
People who regularly drink large amounts of alcohol develop wrinkles more quickly. This is caused by both dehydration of the skin and washing out of the body of ingredients important for its proper functioning, such as vitamin A and B vitamins, as well as calcium, folic acid and zinc. This is why alcoholics look several years older than their birth certificate says.
Exacerbation of skin problems
There is a reason why people suffering from rosacea and psoriasis should not drink alcohol – it inflames inflammatory lesions and causes new ones to appear.
Problems with blood vessels after drinking alcohol
Alcohol dilates the capillaries excessively, so after drinking a glass of wine or a drink, the skin turns slightly red. If this is repeated regularly, the delicate walls of the blood vessels stiffen and do not return to their original size. Then, clearly visible, unsightly “spider veins” form under the skin. If someone drinks often and a lot, the changes are extensive – reddish-blue erythema appears on the nose and cheeks (the so-called drunkard's nose).
Weakened hair and nails
Thin hay on the head is another effect of alcohol. It occurs as a result of dehydration of the body and leaching of zinc from it. The hair of people looking into the glass is weak, brittle, has split ends and falls out excessively. Nails are also brittle and split – this is mainly due to zinc deficiency.
