The first effect is dehydration, as it actually takes all the fluid out of the 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.”
Alcohol dehydrates your body, including the skin – and this happens every time you drink. When you drink, the dehydrating (or 'diuretic') effect of alcohol means your skin loses fluid and nutrients that are vital for healthy-looking skin. This can make your skin look wrinkled, dull and grey, or bloated and puffy.
The Benefits of Quitting Alcohol on the Skin.
Once it has resumed its full functions, the improvements become noticeable. The skin regains its radiance and imperfections tend to disappear. The body is once again able to provide the nutrients necessary for its health and to ensure its hydration.
If you drink often, the effect is compounded. However, once you quit drinking, you start looking younger pretty quickly. Your body wants to be adequately hydrated, so it will hold on to that water once you stop messing with your system.
An increase from 10 units to 32 units per week was associated with the equivalent of 3 years of aging. However, the association between genetically-predicted alcohol consumption and telomere length was only significant for those drinking more than 17 units per week.
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.”
Can You Reverse Alcohol-Related Aging. You might not be able to fully reverse some of the effects of alcohol-related aging naturally. There are some things though that you can do to improve your overall health and well-being to counterbalance many of the effects of alcohol-related aging.
Within a few weeks of quitting drinking, your hydrated skin will thank you with: Diminished puffiness. Reduced dryness. Fewer wrinkles.
Benefits After Quitting Drinking for 3 Months
About three months is when one usually needs their liver and cells throughout the body to heal and experience significant change. During this time, energy levels rise, and overall better health begins.
"It takes approximately 28 days for your skin to renew itself", says Imogen. "This process varies from person to person and is age dependent, so to see a difference in the condition of your skin you would need to give up drinking for at least a month to see an improvement."
Alcohol causes your body and skin to lose fluid (dehydrate). Dry skin wrinkles more quickly and can look dull and grey. Alcohol's diuretic (water-loss) effect also causes you to lose vitamins and nutrients. For example, vitamin A.
You might find yourself in a better mood
Alcohol can ease emotions in the short term, but once the alcohol begins to wear off, it can actually create more anger, depression and anxiety. Plus, after three weeks without alcohol you will almost certainly be sleeping better, which also has mood-improving benefits.
For a quick fix, he suggests a sheet mask that contains hyaluronic acid, a molecule that draws moisture to the skin. Skin redness can be caused by alcohol dilating the blood vessels. One way to reduce this is to put a cold compress on the affected area for a few minutes.
But Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, which means that not enough blood or oxygen is circulating through the body and the toxins get stuck. This can lead to a sallow, grey, crepe-like texture on your skin. You put yourself at a higher risk of unnecessary wrinkles and fine lines when you consume too much caffeine.
For men, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 15 drinks or more per week. For women, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 8 drinks or more per week.
Drinking too much alcohol over a long time can: Lead to some kinds of cancer, liver damage, immune system disorders, and brain damage. Worsen some health conditions such as osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, ulcers, memory loss, and mood disorders.
After two weeks off alcohol, you will continue to reap the benefits of better sleep and hydration. As alcohol is an irritant to the stomach lining, after a fortnight you will also see a reduction in symptoms such as reflux where the stomach acid burns your throat.
After One Year: Congrats on making it to 12 months! At this point, your risk of developing all types of disease will be reduced and your bone density will start to increase.5 Keep in mind that everyone is different and will experience different things when they stop drinking.
Going sober for 7 months (235 days) comes with a lot of great benefits for myself including: Less anxiety, more energy, less brain fog, lower blood pressure, more productivity, more money and better social skills.
If you stop drinking completely, one of the first things you notice should be improved energy levels, better sleep and finding it easier to wake up in the morning. Regular drinking can affect the quality of your sleep making you feel tired and sluggish during the day.
For example, after just 24 hours of no alcohol, your blood sugar levels will normalise and blurred vision caused by alcohol intake will disappear. “The longer you abstain you may also notice your eyes become brighter and whiter, as your body counteracts damage/yellowing of the sclera – the white part of your eye.
Better overall health
As your body adjusts to a lack of alcohol, your blood pressure will likely drop and your liver will heal from any effects of heavy or binge drinking, says Dr. Peterson. You'll also likely experience less headaches, which can be brought on by dehydration from drinking.
Long-Term Health Risks. Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including: High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems. Cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum.
The liver can develop new cells, but prolonged alcohol misuse (drinking too much) over many years can reduce its ability to regenerate.
Drinking can cause many brain and body changes, but it's not too late to reverse some of the damage by stopping the addiction. Contact Ardu Recovery Center to learn how we can help with care and support of recovery.