HOW ALCOHOL AFFECTS OUR APPEARANCE

the survey shows that drinking can cause an unusual dryness of the skin, among other negative features

Alcohol is a diuretic, so it causes us - and in turn our skin - to become dehydrated far more easily. This has both an instant and long-term effect on our skin and hair.

Dehydration causes skin to become dry and hair to become brittle. Excessive alcohol consumption also depletes iron levels which can exacerbate a pale, lifeless complexion and hair loss.

Facial puffiness can also be caused by lymph fluid leaking from enlarged blood vessels into tissue.

Because alcohol can sap the body of Vitamin C and A, the skin also becomes less resilient to environmental causes of ageing such as the sun and pollution.

This is because lowered levels of these vitamins lead to the reduced production of collagen, the substance responsible for making our skin look plump and youthful.

Heavy drinking also affects the skin because alcohol robs us of B Vitamins. Alcoholics often develop skin rashes that could resemble eczema from such deficiencies.

Skin is also much more prone to becoming red and blotchy. This is because alcohol dilates the blood vessels. Many people who suffer from the flushing condition rosacea find that they become red-cheeked if they drink.

However, if you drink large amount regularly, eventually the blood vessels can burst leaving people with permanently red cheeks or the notorious 'drinker's nose'.

Chronic alcohol abuse often shows itself in dark circles under the eyes. This is because in the long-term, alcoholism thins the skin, making blood vessels beneath the surface more visible.

It is worth adding that those who abuse alcohol tend to neglect their health in general, so the damage that drink does often goes hand-in-hand with the incredibly ageing and health-damaging habit of smoking.

Earlier this month researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine warned that binge drinking can also alter your genes.

They say that excessive alcohol use can cause changes in the liver. However, they also say the discovery could lead to new treatments for alcohol related kidney disease. Earlier this month, the Government warned people to have a 'one day on, one day off' policy when drinking, to avoid damaging their health.

'We know that chronic alcohol use is damaging to the liver, but binge drinking amplifies that damage,' said Shivendra Shukla, who led the research.

Excessive alcohol use is one of the most common causes of chronic liver failure. Long-term liver damage from alcohol use is irreversible. Excessive alcohol use is also associated with high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer and digestive problems. 'Every response in the body is due to alterations in proteins,' Shukla said. 'Binge drinking is an environmental trigger that negatively affects histones by altering the correct binding of DNA. 'The result is unnecessary replication in the copied structure.

'This initially causes inflammation and damage to the cells as they form, but it is also eventually the cause of more serious diseases such as cirrhosis and cancer.'

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person's blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 grams percent or above.

SOURCE-  Daily Mail