What Alcohol Does To Your Face & Skin + How To Deal, From Derms

Don’t worry, this is a safe space—nobody is going to judge you for consuming alcohol. Grabbing drinks with friends or pairing your dinner with a glass of red wine is nothing to be ashamed of, especially if it brings you joy and sparks a social connection. 

At the same time, alcohol is not technically healthy for your body, which is why your skin doesn’t look its best after a night out. But is alcohol entirely to blame, or is it another factor? We asked derms to decode the dryness, puffiness, and lackluster complexion a few drinks leaves on your skin, so you can be prepared the next time you step out. 

Alcohol's impact on the skin is not as straightforward as you might think. What goes in your drink, how you spend your night, and even how alcohol makes you feel all contribute to what happens to your skin and how it will look the morning after. To follow, a few compounding factors to consider.

“Alcohol causes dehydration, and dehydration can cause the skin to look pale, dry, and more prone to wrinkling,” board-certified dermatologist and founder of MaeiMD Rebecca Marcus, M.D. tells mbg.

For those with already dry skin, this may be even more prevalent. In addition, dehydration could be one of the reasons your head is pounding after one too many cocktails. 

“Alcohol triggers inflammation1, which may result in dilation of blood vessels in the face and subsequent flushing, which may become permanent if it happens repeatedly over long periods of time,” Marcus notes. 

This could look like broken capillaries and red patches that show up while you’re drinking or the day after. 

Have you ever had hangxiety? You know, hangover anxiety that comes along the second you wake up after a night out? This could feel like party regret, haste to get your affairs in order, or stress surrounding your physical state (headache, stomach discomfort, etc.). 

This level of stress isn’t going to help your skin, either. In fact, stress can lead to an increase in sebum production2, thus raising the risk of post-party breakouts.

Ever wondered why you can’t clock a perfect night of sleep post-drinking? You may feel like you’ve been knocked out for a few hours, but oftentimes the quality of your sleep is compromised. 

Alcohol affects your body's natural production of melatonin3 and can cause or ramp up symptoms of sleep apnea4, such as snoring. Not to mention, you may wake up early post-drinking, even if you went to bed late, thanks to the imbalance in blood sugar. 

“Sugar, and simple carbohydrates that are easily digested into sugar, can damage collagen in the skin in a process called glycation5, in which excess glucose in the skin adheres to collagen and elastin proteins,” Marcus says. 

“This process creates advanced glycation end products, which cause the collagen to become rigid and the skin to appear less supple,” she adds. So if you pair your alcohol of choice with a sugar-packed mixer, this effect will be even more substantial. 

If you wake up with a puffy face or sagging under the eyes, you’re not alone. “Alcohol can cause water retention and facial puffiness,” Marcus says, which may last throughout the next morning and even until midday. 

This isn’t exclusive to the face, though—you may see signs of water retention (as in puffiness) throughout your body. So if you wake up feeling or looking more bloated than usual, don’t be hard on yourself—it’s a direct result of alcohol consumption and it won’t last forever. 

“For some individuals who are rosacea-prone, alcohol can increase flushing, worsen redness and lead to potential flares,” board-certified dermatologist Marisa Garshick, M.D., FAAD tells mbg.

“Additionally, one study showed that alcohol intake was associated with an increased risk of rosacea,” she adds. This is because alcohol can trigger inflammation and “peripheral vasodilation,” which can lead to redness, flushing, and bumps, Garshick explains. There have also been associations between worsened eczema and psoriasis when alcohol is consumed, she notes. 

“Dark circles can result from several different factors, including that blood vessels can be more dilated, leading to reddish-purplish discoloration in the undereye area,” Garshick says, Plus, with the compounding lack of high-quality sleep, your dark circles may be even more noticeable the morning after. 

While you can’t take back consuming alcohol after the fact, there are steps you can take to nurse your skin back to health and speed up the post-drinking revival. We did a full breakdown of hangover skin care here, but we’ll summarize the need-to-know steps below. 

Just because alcohol isn’t the best for your skin doesn’t mean you need to abandon it forever. Instead, work on creating healthy habits around drinking so you can minimize the negative aftermath. Here are a few ideas: 

“Drinking water before, during, and after alcohol intake can help to reduce the effects of alcohol on the body,” Garshick notes. It might not be easy to remember this step, but it’s crucial for managing your hangover and skin troubles the next day. 

If you really want to level up, consider having an electrolyte replacement mixed in a glass of water right before you fall asleep—the Hydrating Electrolyte Mix packets from Cure are one A+ choice. 

This one is fairly obvious, but certainly worth a reminder: If drinking is negatively impacting your physical or mental health, consider limiting yourself to one or two beverages each time you go out.

In addition, you may want to reserve drinking alcohol for special occasions if it’s not a habit that aligns with how you want to feel, again, physically and mentally. Or, take a break altogether if you feel inclined. 

Luckily, there are plenty of alcoholic drinks on the market that are packed with good-for-you ingredients, in the name of balance. A few tips here:

If you know hangxiety and a night out come in a package deal for you, then it’s a good idea to prepare for it. Do this by incorporating relaxing activities into your next morning—think yoga, breathwork, a walk outside, watching your favorite show, etc. 

In addition, CBD may help you beat the post-party jitters, so have a supplement on hand should you need it—here’s a list of our favorite CBD gummies if you’re in the market.  

Drinking alcohol certainly isn’t the best for your skin, but you can do it in a way that’s minimally problematic. Remember to look for nutrient-rich drinks when you can, hydrate throughout the night, drink in moderation, and ease hangover anxiety when possible. Ready to sip smart? Opt for the healthier alcohols out there—here’s a list of the eight best to look for.