When Brad Pitt made a surprise appearance at the Golden Globes this year, fans were stunned by his youthful appearance. Some said he looked 20 years younger. Others speculated that at 53, Brad Pitt had undergone extensive plastic surgery.
But this week, Brad Pitt revealed what may be the real reason he’s looking so good. He quit drinking.
We don’t know for certain if Brad Pitt did anything else to achieve his amazing transformation. But putting the bottle down is a good place to start if you care about your skin. Why? Here are 5 things that happen to your skin when you drink.
1. Alcohol Dehydrates (and Ages) Your Skin
Alcohol accelerates the aging process by dehydrating your body, including the skin—your body’s largest organ. The skin mucous membranes need water to stay active. If you drink too much, dehydration occurs. The damage starts slow, but over time, the result is dry, wrinkled, leathery skin.
The liver works hard to remove toxins from you body and expel them as waste. But when you damage your liver by drinking too much, those toxins remain in your body, causing blemishes and making acne worse. Skin dryness also causes wrinkles and reduces the body’s Vitamin A levels, which are essential for skin cell renewal.
2. Alcohol Interferes with Nutrient Absorption
Drinking too much also deprives the skin of vital vitamins and nutrients. According to peer-reviewed medical journal Dermato-Endocrinology, alcohol limits the absorption of amino acids, minerals, and vitamins. This makes your body less efficient at metabolizing fatty acids.
Do you have abnormally dry skin? Ask a dermatologist today!
3. Alcohol Consumption Inflames the Skin
Consuming alcohol has a negative impact on most of the key nutrients that skin needs to retain moisture and resist inflammation, which is one of the triggers of skin aging. This is why overindulging in alcohol creates inflammation within every system in the body. Over time, continued alcohol abuse can cause facial redness and flushing. It can also lead to skin diseases like psoriasis and rosacea.
4. Drinking Dilates Facial Blood Vessels
Alcohol consumption increases the body’s blood flow. When consumed regularly, it can cause the face’s blood vessels to dilate. Capillaries around the eyes, nose, lips, and ears may become enlarged and may even burst, leaving red spotsand spider veins.
5. Drinking Disturbs REM Sleep
Sleep is a vital part of skin recovery. While a few drinks may make you drowsy, drinking too much can trigger a norepinephrine burst. Norepinephrine, itself, is the hormone responsible for wakefulness, excitement, and even stress. When you sleep poorly, it increases. The result is that it’s harder for your skin to heal itself. Drinking alcohol regularly disturbs REM sleep—pushing norepinephrine levels.
Alcohol wreaks havoc on the skin. If you believe you can counteract the damage that comes with drinking too much by eating a healthy diet and drinking lots of water, think again.
The Specialist doctor from the University Hospital in Gothenburg, alumnus UC Berkeley. My doctoral dissertation is about Digital Health and I have published 5 scientific articles in teledermatology and artificial intelligence and others.