You may already be aware that alcohol and appearance changes go hand in hand. Most people who drink alcohol have experienced the bloated feeling that can lead to permanent bulging in the stomach area, commonly referred to as a beer belly. Beyond the swollen tummy, there are many other ways that alcohol negatively affects your overall appearance, including what is known as an alcoholic face. These changes may have you feeling more self-conscious about how you look. If you have noticed concerning changes in your appearance related to your alcohol consumption, it may be time to rethink your drinking. You can get back to looking healthy once again with the help of alcohol addiction treatment.
At New Start Recovery, we understand the connection between alcohol and appearance and how it can exacerbate issues that led you to drink in the first place. Feeling dissatisfied with how you look can make you feel worse about life in general. However, knowing that recovering from alcohol addiction can improve how you look and feel may be the incentive you need to reach out for help from an alcohol addiction treatment program. To reclaim a healthier-looking you, give us a call today at [Direct] and get started on the path to recovery.
Wrinkles, a puffy face, a beer belly, and bad breath — these are all things we commonly associate with alcohol addiction. While these are common issues for people who drink heavily, alcohol can have other impacts on your body that might shock you.
5 Surprising Connections Between Alcohol and Appearance
Facial disfigurement
Have you ever looked in the mirror after having a few beers and noticed that your face is flushed, hot, and red? It happens enough that we all now associate a red face with drunkenness, otherwise known as an alcoholic face. While it usually goes away shortly after you have stopped drinking, the situation can get more serious when skin redness is related to rosacea.
Alcohol can trigger rosacea, a skin condition that causes chronic redness and sometimes small, red bumps on the face. While alcohol does not directly cause rosacea, it can easily trigger a rosacea flare-up. Long-term alcohol abuse can cause repeated flare-ups, leading to visible blood vessels or disfigurement, especially on the nose. A person’s nose may appear swollen, bulging, and bumpy in severe cases.
Bloodshot eyes and blindness
Alcohol will not just irritate the blood vessels in your skin, but it can also aggravate the blood vessels on the surface of your eyes and cause them to enlarge. These inflamed blood vessels appear as the commonly known bloodshot eyes, giving away a person’s tendency to use alcohol.
On top of the bloodshot appearance, excessive alcohol use can also take away your eyesight altogether. Alcohol deprives the body of vitamins A and B1. A B1 deficiency can cause weakness or paralysis of the eye muscles, while a vitamin A deficiency can cause retinal damage and blindness.
Body odor
Alcohol does not just affect your appearance in ways you or others can see. Your body treats alcohol like a toxin and will try to break it down as acetic acid. However, about 10% of the alcohol will not get metabolized. Your liver processes most of the alcohol that you drink, which is why many people addicted to alcohol develop liver disease.
The remaining alcohol will be excreted through your urine and sweat. Those bodily fluids are essentially carrying a toxin as far as your body is concerned, so you can expect alcohol sweat to smell worse than that of normal perspiration.
Dry, brittle hair and hair loss
Not everything you drink will hydrate your body. Even though alcohol consists of a large percentage of water, it is anything but hydrating. Most people understand this, yet many forget to drink water when drinking alcohol (hence, the dreaded hangover). Alcohol inhibits your body’s ability to reabsorb water by decreasing its production of anti-diuretic hormones. So, unless you are simultaneously consuming water, drinking alcohol will dehydrate your body.
Long-term alcohol abuse will cause repeated dehydration, which will be evident in your hair, skin, and nails. Not only will alcohol abuse and dehydration cause your hair to split and break off, but it can also trigger a zinc deficiency in your body, which can cause your hair to fall out.
Gray skin
Chronic dehydration from alcohol use can cause your skin to take on a grayish cast. This is because alcohol deprives the body of vitamin A, and long-term alcohol abuse can cause significantly lower levels of vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is crucial for skin renewal, so it can cause your skin to take on a dull gray appearance when you are deficient.
Refresh Your Appearance With Alcohol Addiction Treatment at New Start Recovery
Sometimes the negative side effects of alcohol addiction will require medical attention. However, when it comes to your physical appearance, the best thing you can do to save your smooth skin and glossy hair is to stop drinking. New Start Recovery can help treat alcoholism, so if you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol addiction, do not hesitate to reach out to us at [Direct] or through our live chat.