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6 Ways Alcohol Causes Acne
by Kali Kushner
As the holidays come andgo,we are all probably feeling a little guilty fromover indulging. From the sweets and the carbo loaded foodsto the excessive drinking, holiday season definitely caught up with me and well, wreaked absolute havoc on my skin.To be honest it was a little bit worse than expected, but with my college graduation right around the corner, no after school graduation plans,andconstant traveling between in laws and grandparents, the stress laid on pretty thick and so did the holiday beverages.
- I’ve always heard of alcohol causing acne or maybe I just assumed it does- because well, you’re putting a literal toxin into your body and creating a dehydrated environment, but I’ve never knownEXACTLYwhy. While drinking in moderation isn’t a problem for most, everyone is different, and it turnsout, that second drink might be a bad idea for several reasons.
- Drinking regularly can destroy your immune system. Your immune system keeps the balance of good and bad bacteria in check.It’s your body’s defense againstinfection and illness.It also destroysbacteria, viruses, and parasites.Therefor, aweakened immune systemmakes it easier for bacteriato build up in your pores, resulting in clogged pores and a greater surge of acne.
- Frequently drinking can effect your hormone levels. One massive factor in the causation of acne is an imbalance or a surge of testosteroneand estrogen.This is becausetheoil glands that produce sebumare sensitive to testosterone anda surge in testosterone leads to a surge in breakouts!
- Many people (yours included) use drinking as a coping mechanism for stress. Stress islikely to effect your hormones and create a spike in cortisol,so the two combined arelikely to lead to problems and have a negative effect on your skin.
- Your liver! Of course alcohol leads to liver damage, and your liver is extremely important when it comes to the clarity of your skin.It regulates your hormones,helps maintain steady blood sugar levels, and remove toxins from your body.Alcohol is atoxin to the cells that detoxify your body.Something that reducesliver function is likely bad for your skin as well.
- Alcohol causes Candida overgrowth. Candida is a fungus thatis found inhigh yeast and sugary products, think beer, wine, and mixed drinks.Whenovergrown it can result in outbreaks on the skin that look like acne but aren’t!
- Dehydration! Alcohol lowers your body’s water content, which is critical for removing inflammatory toxins.These toxins can result in inflammatory andaggravated acne.In addition to dehydration, alcohol causes aging skin- leaving your skin dry, cracked, and red.Additionally, dehydration can have the effect ofincreasingimpurities in the body. Our bodies use water in countless waysto break down impuritieswithin the body.Without enough water in our bodies we run the risk of increasing acne because they have no other way of leaving our system.
In short alcohol can effect the immune system, disrupt your hormones, interrupt the detoxification process,and increase dehydration all leading to bigger and badderbreakoutsbutthat doesn’t necessarily mean you should never drink again (or the opportunity won’t arise).
Everything in moderation
While binge drinking nightly isn’t preferable, drinking in moderationcan actually boast positive health benefits which couldlead to better skin. For example a glass of red wine each night is linked to better sleep, this is due to a hormone called melatoninwhich helps you fall asleep and stay asleep.If you do choose to drink and are concerned about your skin, opt for drinks lower in sugar (clear liquor, red wine) and stick to just one glass!So again, while having the occasional drink won’twon’t affect your skin too harshly,regular alcohol consumption leads toworsened breakouts, redness, and irritation.
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