How Drinking Affects Your Complexion

Alcohol and Your Complexion

Effect #7: I don't know how or why this happens, perhaps it's rosacea-related, but alcohol opens the pores on your face. And when we pass out instead of going to sleep, makeup gets rubbed into the open pores, causing pimples and blackheads. By this time, we've either gained puffy weight on our faces, or we've lost too much weight. Or both. Kids, it's a mess.

When to Give Up Alcohol Entirely

Obviously we've gone to an extreme here, and not everyone gets this far. But if you have achieved Level E-7, you've got to stop drinking entirely. If you're not an alcoholic, it should not be hard to switch to Italian Pellegrino water. Or even skip the bunko.

If you find you can't stop drinking, even as you see its effects on your complexion and your body, you'll need to join a recovery group. That could mean a spiritual group, a recovery-oriented church group, or a group about which you can obsess, such as a large civic choir or an intensive art workshop.

Hazelden.org is a great site to check out. Their website is loaded with awesome information and activities, and they also run rehabilitation centers in New York, Illinois, Minnesota, and Oregon.

Women for Sobriety (WFS) is a wonderful group if you're wanting to stop drinking entirely. They are at WomenForSobriety.org

Alcoholics Anonymous is great, too, and each local group has its own "personality." So you can "shop" for the group that makes you feel the most welcome. Some have all women's groups, some have ACOA (Adult Children of Alcoholics) groups, some sponsor sports activities - today's AA is not your grandmother's AA! I've found that having a solid base in AA - and then combining that with a passion, like civic choir - is a winning strategy.

Your personal beauty, your complexion, your health - hey, your life, job, family, and friends - can all be damaged by too much alcohol. But too much Perrier water? Never a problem.

When to Get Medical Supervision

Always check with your professional health care provider before making any  changes in your alcohol intake. I'm not just saying that as a disclaimer. Also, if you're a heavy drinker, you absolutely must have medical supervision when you decide to quit. See your doctor or health care practitioner, and work out a strategy with her so that you don't suffer the very dangerous side-effects of going cold-turkey.

Back to page 1  of  How Drinking Affects Your Complexion

Read Anti-Aging Without Surgery
Find out How to Break Into Entry-Level
     Healthcare Careers
Read How to Become a Day Trader