Since alcohol causes dehydration, it can also dry out our skin and make wrinkles form faster. As we age, our telomeres get shorter and shorter until all the DNA in the telomere is lost and cells can no longer replicate. The first time might feel weird but the more you do it, the less weird it is.” (Try one of these satisfying mocktails instead.)
Hormonal Disruption and Long-Term Impact
While chronological age is how old you are (measured by the time that’s passed since you were born and today), biological age is how old your cells are. Among men, heavy alcohol intake has been found to reduce testosterone levels. Heavy drinking can also lead to shifts in hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol.
Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
“Try to find some fun, nonalcoholic beverages that taste good,” she said. Instead, Manning encouraged people to go out with their friends, even if they’re all going to a bar. If you’re questioning your relationship with alcohol, Manning suggested that you first try to go 30 days without it and see how you feel. So not only are more of us drinking, but we’re drinking more. Being alcohol-free really laid the foundation of a supportive lifestyle for being what I want my body to be.”
It can impact your physical, emotional, and spiritual health, too—making you not only look but also feel older than you are. All in all, the sooner you quit or moderate your drinking, the better. This limits the body’s ability to maintain itself, resulting in faster aging. Alcohol’s all-around negative effect on nutrition means that heavy drinkers often become malnourished.
Does Alcohol Make You Look Older?
Our proven program has helped millions of people around the world drink less and live more. One study found that men who consumed more than 35 drinks a week were 35% more likely to display “arcus corneae” — a gray ring in the eye that often pops up in old age. Excessive alcohol consumption can even cause us to look older.
Alcohol And Its Effects On Aging
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is an inability to control or stop drinking despite experiencing negative consequences. Alcohol’s effect on our skin is only one of the ways it causes us to look older. If we already have these conditions, consuming alcohol can make symptoms even worse. This can make our skin look wrinkled, dull, gray, or bloated and puffy. In the U.S. alone, the anti-aging market grew from $3.9 billion in 2016 to $4.9 billion in 2021. But now you know that it can also be a reason you look and feel much older than you really are.
While heavy drinkers are more likely to have cirrhosis (permanent damage to your liver), even moderate drinking can lead to problems like fatty liver disease. Heavy drinking can have a direct effect on certain parts of your body and on your mental health as you get older. Although it isn’t a treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), the Reframe app can help you cut back on drinking gradually, with the science-backed knowledge to empower you 100% of the way. Reframe has helped millions of people around the world cut back on their alcohol consumption — and helped put them on track to lead healthier, longer lives. Heavy alcohol consumption not only causes visible changes to our body that make us look older — it actually accelerates our aging at a cellular level.
How Alcohol Affects Your Skin
The internet is full of articles encouraging you to cut back on alcohol to protect your skin, and for good reason. Of course, rapid aging affects your physical appearance. Alcohol causes your body to release more stress hormones, which speeds up the aging process.
HealthBeat
- While we might not notice the effect of drinking on our cells, alcohol can speed up our aging process in many other ways.
- It’s a natural process called intrinsic aging, and it’s something you can’t control.
- Heavy drinking can also lead to shifts in hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol.
- Alcohol reduces the amount of vasopressin that your body makes.
Then download our app through the App Store or Google Play today! The Reframe app is free for 7 days, so you don’t have anything to lose by trying it. Melody is here to help as you adjust to a life with less (or no) alcohol.
- While this condition is generally harmless, it is a visible sign of aging.
- Quitting alcohol completely can be a challenge, but there are more ways to do it than ever before.
- That’s where alcohol comes in — it dehydrates you and dries out your skin.
And it can have some unhealthy indirect effects, as well. You have to be old enough to drink it legally, and once you are, it can age you faster than normal. Reframe supports you in reducing alcohol consumption and enhancing your well-being. Are you ready to feel empowered and discover life beyond alcohol? Receive encouragement from people worldwide who know exactly what you’re going through! Our daily research-backed readings teach you the neuroscience of alcohol, and our in-app Toolkit provides the resources and activities you need to navigate each challenge.
One of the most visible impacts alcohol can have is on our complexion, as drinking excessively is known to cause redness and dry, wrinkly skin. Recent research indicates that excessive alcohol consumption can indeed speed up the aging process at a biological level. Additionally, high-risk drinking — which is considered four or more drinks for women and five or more for men on a single occasion — went up 30 percent in the same time frame. “I am huge on taking care of my skin and not only did drinking affect that, but it also affects how you care about how you present yourself. Heavy amounts of alcohol can also affect the appearance of your skin, leading to redness, dryness, and moisture loss. Alcohol can increase your risk of aging faster, but its overall impact on your health depends on how much and how often you choose to drink.
Alcohol and the Aging Process
Soon after giving up alcohol, Manning said her skin seemed softer and more glowing. She said she just celebrated her 600th day of not drinking. “We are different people inside and out, and we feel we are in a new relationship with each other and our kids,” Alina said.
Some factors, mixing zantac and alcohol like stress, can make your cells age faster. Everyone ages differently so your chronological age and biological age may be the same or they can be different. It is also widely known that alcohol can be harmful to your brain, heart and liver. “The debate lies in whether any amount of alcohol is truly safe.
Every alcoholic drink goes “straight to your head,” or at least to your brain. Alcohol can affect the way some vital organs work and make them age faster. That’s where alcohol comes in — it dehydrates you and dries out your skin.
Weight loss is one of many reasons to consume alcohol more mindfully or stop altogether. We can help you with alcohol addiction, so contact us to learn more about our therapy services. Alcohol can lead to damaged hair, although it doesn’t directly cause hair loss. That’s why you begin to lose elasticity and develop wrinkly skin, especially on your face. Many people like to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or have a beer when out socializing. Contact us to find out how we can help you navigate the path to recovery and optimize your physical and mental health.
