How Alcohol Affects Your Hair and More

Most of know or have at least heard the health risks associated with consuming alcohol. Most of us know to drink moderately and be responsible. What you may not know is outside of the health risks of drinking are the very real and potentially serious health issues on your hair and skin.

Your Hair and Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol has a pretty negative impact your hair and for one basic reason. Alcohol has a dehydrating effect. It not only dries you out, but it also acts as a diuretic, which means makes it more difficult for you body to rehydrate. When hair becomes dehydrated it becomes brittle and limp. That’s the reason why shampoo and conditioners always stress their ability to hydrate your hair.

Your hair not only suffers from the lack of hydration but alcohol also depletes some of the essential minerals and nutrients that your hair needs to be healthy like zinc and folic acid. Without these, your hair will look less shiny and the strength of your hair will be less as well.  In some cases alcohol can even boost the odds of developing hair loss.

Alcohol and Your Skin

Alcohol has much of the same affects on your skin as it does your hair. The dehydrating effects can cause your skin to turn red and become irritated or flakey. Fine lines can deepen, it can make you look sallow and exhausted.

Excess drinking can hamper your cellular renewal which means your skin loses some of its luster and shine. This happens because the Vitamin A gets depleted. Alcohol also opens up the blood vessels, which is why some people when they drink sometimes look red-faced. Frequent heavy drinking can result in spider veins and other visible problems of the skin.

What to Do About Alcohol and Its Effects

The best way to make these problems less severe is to simply stop drinking altogether, but that’s not something many are willing to do. There are some approaches to curbing the effects of alcohol on your hair and skin. First and foremost is to drink less often, and reduce the amount you drink when you do.

It is also recommended that you remain hydrated on days when you know you will be drinking. Consume plenty of water throughout the day if you think you may be drinking alcohol later. Drinking coconut water can boost your body’s water retention. It is also a good idea to alternate between alcoholic beverages with a glass of water.

It is also a good idea to put some focus on your diet as well. If you plan on going out and will be drinking, make sure to eat well through the day, and that means eating fruits, vegetables and healthy fats and stay away from junk foods.

Your hair can really benefit the day after you have been drinking if you give it some extra TLC. Using things like moistening products wraps can help hydrate your hair.

Hair Loss Problems

If you should notice that your hair is beginning to thin, whether it is due to alcohol or another reason, there is no need to worry. There are treatments that can resolve your hair loss problem with non-invasive solutions that can take those areas that are thin and restore them show full and healthy hair once again. To learn more about what can be done to help you maintain healthy hair and skin, feel free to contact our team of stylists today.