Alcohol & skin & mental health

[Stillseparatedat41]

I’m going through separation and my skin ain’t great. I’ve aged dramatically the past two years (I’m 41).

I’m thinking of quitting alcohol for mental health reasons (to feel less sad about the separation and gain some clarity).

Will it help my skin? I’ve fine lines all over my face now! Quitting alcohol can’t reverse that, can it? What exactly will it do for my skin?

Have you quit booze? Did it help your head & skin?

You will look younger for it as alcohol does make you look generally tired.

It’s awful stuff for mh problems too.

Thanks @Fluffycloudland77

Face less puffy, clearer skin, less tired looking.

@Bluewavescrashing

Thanks. I’d go for all of the above (sips wine and ponders)

Try searching for ‘alcohol before and after photos’ or similar. A bored panda site come up with 50+ photos which are great

Oh ok! Thanks! Will do!

I quit alcohol for 9 months (started again mid pandemic 😕)... honestly, for the first 3 months my skin was awful, I think it was purging. After that time it definitely got better and brighter than it was when I drank. My mental health improved in lots of ways, I was much more engaged with my children and felt more in the moment (cliched as that sounds). It’s something I want to do again in the future. Good luck op and I’m really sorry to hear about your separation x

Thanks @Miseryisabutterfly

Good on you quitting alcohol for 9 months! That was a really long stint! I’m not surprised you started again during the pandemic! It’s been tough!

I’ve been drinking frequently for a very long time so I can only imagine my body’s shock when I quit. I really think I’m going to do it this time for a few months. Maybe September anyhow!!!

Haven’t had alcohol for nearly two months, my face is much less puffy and my skin is bright, clear and I look a lot younger, which has been said to me on many occasions recently. Alcohol is so bad for you it’s no wonder it makes us look rubbish

I'm taking a year off and the biggest thing I noticed looks-wise is that it's much easier to get, and stay, hydrated! Noticeable in my face and my lips aren't always dry and cracked!

Mental-health wise, I sleep better, I don't have to deal with the mental aspects of hangovers - the embarrassment and self-loathing. Like physical hangovers, even if it was mild, it was there!

I drink a lot of fruit/herbal teas and sparkling water to fill in the gaps. For most of us, it's not as hard as a lot of people make out to quit cold turkey. Go for it, OP.

Booze dehydrates skin so those fine lines you see will probably be reversible, give it a few months and I'm sure you'll notice them disappearing. If you feel your MH is suffering then it's definitely worth stopping for a while, wine for me feeds anxiety, it becomes a horrible cycle. Go for it op 👍

Yes i guarantee you will look better for it because your sleep will improve though the first week or 2 you might struggle to sleep.. and you will be more hydrated even if you dont increase your liquids.. your liver will have more time to focus on clearing toxics in the absence of clearing alcohol from your body so cellulite and bloating will improve. Alcohol is a depressant so your mental health will be better buuut its not all unicorns and rainbows you will still have hard days.
Your nails abd hair will be better after 2 and more months as your body will have time to absorb nutrients.
Look up the 30 days alcohol experiment.. its free and very supportive.. there is a website and facebook group.

@AsLongAsIHaveMyTea

Good for you! Must be so lovely to be told you look younger.

I've quit for over a year now and it makes a massive difference. Mentally I am calmer and sleep on average 8 hours solid. Drinking messes up every aspect of your health imo.

@WitchenKitch

That’s so great to hear. My sleep hasn’t been good and with the separation my moods and hormones are just all over the place. I image a booze-break can only be a good thing. Yes, I’ll miss it but I won’t miss the horrible hangovers and self-loathing, like you say.

Cold turkey works for me. I’ve set a date to quit and that’s when I’m going to do it.

@userxx

I’ve had growing anxiety the past few years and I do wonder if alcohol has a lot to do with it.

Yeah my skin really needs tlc. I use all the products but I think it calls for ditching the booze for a while! Thanks for the encouragement.

@sallyauntiepoop

Thank you! Would you believe I did Annie Grace’s 30 day experiment & listened to the podcast. I was so proud of myself but then I just went straight back!

Interesting you mention cellulite & bloating was I have those two worse than ever. The fact it’s a depressant is enough of a reason to quit. I just wish wine didn’t taste so dang good!!!

Also great to hear about the nails & hair!

Thanks for these messages. Ye are really motivating me.

@nitgel

Wow you’re probably right about messing up every aspect of health. A whole year — good for you! Do you miss it? What do you drink when you’re out?

It made zero difference to my skin or weight, but mentally I feel better for not drinking.

How much are you drinking? It doesn’t make any difference for me but if you’re drinking a lot it may well do. You’ll also be losing a lot of empty calories which is always a good thing.

@InDeoEstMeaFiducia

The mental aspect is huge for me right now. I’m hoping it’ll help my skin too though!

You could use the money saved from buying alcohol to treat yourself to some nice skin care etc?
Calculate how much you spend in a month and when you’ve completed the month you should treat yourself to a non booze reward.
I should do the same actually....

Mine improves when not drinking, makes me look tired and dehydrated.

I'm 45 and I stopped drinking at new year and rarely feel the need to wear make up these days. It does have more of a glow to it. I am less bloated and I've lost 1.5 stones (I've been up my exercise too but not calorie counting).

Have to say my nails are still quite brittle but always have been like that.

It's really helped give me spare time to look after myself more, and I do yoga most days and run 3 times a week now. I did these things while was drinking but not with the same regularity.

I can still feel anxious at times but not have the dread that came with a hangover.

Good luck.