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Alcohol Effects on Your Looks

Long-term overuse and abuse of alcoholic drinks can take their toll on the inside of your body and your mental and emotional well-being as your body strives to keep up with the toxins being consumed on a regular basis. As your insides suffer from the abuse, it won't be long before the chronic drinking causes your overall physical appearance to suffer as well.

  1. How Much is Too Much?

    • While moderate drinking -- a limit of one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men -- can be healthy for some people, excessive, chronic drinking can speed up the aging process, drastically changing your looks in a short period of time. In short, alcohol is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and into the brain, causing problems pertaining to coordination and judgment. Your liver is forced to work overtime to excrete the excessive toxins from your body.

    Eyes

    • Drinking alcohol hampers the quality of sleep you get each night, causing restlessness and insomnia. People dependent on alcohol may develop dark circles under their eyes or puffy bags due to exhaustion. Excessive alcohol consumption may also result in chronic dry, bloodshot eyes as too much drinking leads to dehydration. Glassy eyes are a common result of chronic alcohol abuse.

    Skin

    • Chronic drinkers tend to become dehydrated, resulting in water retention. In turn, the alcoholic takes on a puffy, bloated appearance in the face and abdomen. The skin of alcoholics can also appear pale or gray and chronically dry and brittle. Blemishes and rosacea may develop. The thin blood vessels in the skin dilate due to alcohol consumption, causing a red nose and red streaks on your face. Due to vitamin deficiencies, premature aging results as your skin is unable to maintain its elasticity and vibrancy.

    Weight Gain

    • The person who abuses alcohol regularly also consumes excessive empty calories as alcoholic drinks provide no nutritional value to your diet. You will notice your waistline expanding, both from weight gain and bloating due to dehydration. People who drink excessively may replace meals with drinks or eat food of little nutritional value, resulting in vitamin and nutrient deficiencies. The changes in your appearance can also effect your self esteem. Couple this with your exhaustion and mood changes, and you may find people who once enjoyed your company are now quick to scatter.

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