Cutting out alcohol for vanity - the 2022 edition

PastelGiraffe · 2022-01-11T18:59:33+00:00

This time last year someone started a post about stopping alcohol for reasons of vanity, rather than out of necessity or due to health concerns. I just thought it would be interesting to do a new post on this to see if anyone is doing the same this year or whether there is any feedback from those who did this last year? I started out by doing dry January as I usually do and managed to continue for the full year, until December when I enjoyed a few nice wines. I can honestly say that from a vanity perspective, stopping alcohol did have a big impact. I feel that my skin looked great - more glowy and it was much less puffy. Incidentally I wasn’t a huge drinker anyway but would indulge in a little glass whenever I felt the urge; despite this the changes were notable. Over the festive period, when I did have a few glasses of wine, I’m convinced that I could literally see the effect of a glass of wine on my face the next day. I know that’s probably a bit dramatic but I’m convinced that cutting out the booze has had a positive impact on my face and overall appearance (which I guess was the point of the original thread). I also lost weight much more easily - I lost 2 stone over the year and while I was obviously eating a bit better, cutting out wine made it easier for me to make good decisions about diet generally. So I’m back on the case now and just keen to know if anyone else is doing the same? Did anyone else have the same experience?

IvorCutler · 11/01/2022 20:11

I’m starting the year with a view to drink much less, and not at all during the week. But for now I’m not drinking at all and happy to continue for as long as I feel is right.

I previously stopped drinking for 9 months- July ‘19- April ‘20 and my overall appearance improved hugely. My mental health actually didn’t though, I think I’d convinced myself that I was an alcoholic and I just felt shit about myself. Between that and the pandemic I couldn’t take it anymore and started again. That’s why I’ve adopted a different attitude this time.

I’ve not seen any physical changes yet but I’m feeling really positive about life generally and I’ve lost the sense of hopelessness I was experiencing. I’m hoping my appearance will improve too!

MacavityTheDentistsCat · 11/01/2022 20:18

I could have written your post, PastelGiraffe. I did exactly the same: gave up in January 2021, looked great for most of the year and lost considerable weight but then saw an immediate return to puffiness once I had a few glasses over the recent festive season. Needless to say, I'm now back on the wagon again.

Original poster

PastelGiraffe · 11/01/2022 20:38

@MacavityTheDentistsCat

I could have written your post, PastelGiraffe. I did exactly the same: gave up in January 2021, looked great for most of the year and lost considerable weight but then saw an immediate return to puffiness once I had a few glasses over the recent festive season. Needless to say, I'm now back on the wagon again.

I think I remember you from the original post Macavity! Great to hear you had a positive experience too. I wonder if we actually did look a bit more puffy-faced after a drink or if we were just more attuned to looking out for any differences after almost a year of having that glow?!

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PastelGiraffe · 11/01/2022 20:40

@IvorCutler

I’m starting the year with a view to drink much less, and not at all during the week. But for now I’m not drinking at all and happy to continue for as long as I feel is right.

I previously stopped drinking for 9 months- July ‘19- April ‘20 and my overall appearance improved hugely. My mental health actually didn’t though, I think I’d convinced myself that I was an alcoholic and I just felt shit about myself. Between that and the pandemic I couldn’t take it anymore and started again. That’s why I’ve adopted a different attitude this time.

I’ve not seen any physical changes yet but I’m feeling really positive about life generally and I’ve lost the sense of hopelessness I was experiencing. I’m hoping my appearance will improve too!

I think this is absolutely the right attitude - do it as long as it feels right. When I started last Jan I had no expectations never to drink again or even to last a year - I was just seeing how it went. It worked out well for me and I found it easy so I’m giving it a bash again.

I’m sure you’ll see and feel an even greater difference as the next couple of weeks roll by.

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Daisy829 · 11/01/2022 20:41

Great thread. I am doing dry January and tbh I was drinking too much and enjoying my wine a lot but I have noticed just in these 11 days how much better my skin is looking. It’s amazing. It’s making me think I’m going to continue with no alcohol longer than just January

tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz · 11/01/2022 20:45

Also doing dry January. I'm convinced my skin is already looking better, I had my brows done today (just tint and shape but I've recently found an amazing therapist, she's so good) and I've been using a lash growth serum recently .... I caught sight of my reflection earlier with no make up on and I swear I look younger

IvorCutler · 11/01/2022 21:02

Thanks @PastelGiraffe I’ve actually had bronchitis for the last couple of weeks so I’m sure that’s not helped my appearance 😂 hopefully by the end of the month I’ll see a difference.

Original poster

PastelGiraffe · 11/01/2022 21:12

@Daisy829

Great thread. I am doing dry January and tbh I was drinking too much and enjoying my wine a lot but I have noticed just in these 11 days how much better my skin is looking. It’s amazing. It’s making me think I’m going to continue with no alcohol longer than just January

Great - this is how I started last year too! It was just Dry January then I found last year’s thread full of people saying how great they felt and looked and it inspired me to continue!

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PastelGiraffe · 11/01/2022 21:15

@tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz

Also doing dry January. I'm convinced my skin is already looking better, I had my brows done today (just tint and shape but I've recently found an amazing therapist, she's so good) and I've been using a lash growth serum recently .... I caught sight of my reflection earlier with no make up on and I swear I look younger

I’m sure you do! The thing I found was that instead of sitting down to relax with a glass of wine, I actually ended up spending more time on self-care activities like yoga and pampering. So it became a bit of a virtuous circle - as I drank less and looked better, I started to spend even more time and care looking after myself and it inspired me to continue. So basically I say go for it - enjoy pampering yourself!

Ps which lash serum? I tried revitalash years ago and didn’t find it made any difference but happy to take a recommendation!

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PastelGiraffe · 11/01/2022 21:16

@IvorCutler

Thanks *@PastelGiraffe* I’ve actually had bronchitis for the last couple of weeks so I’m sure that’s not helped my appearance 😂 hopefully by the end of the month I’ll see a difference.

Hope you feel better soon and this post gives you some confidence that this will pay off. It certainly strengthened my resolve last year at a time when I had no real intention to cut alcohol altogether. Take care!

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Peridot1 · 11/01/2022 21:31

I remember seeing the thread last year and did think about it but the pull of wine was stronger!

But I’m doing Dry January this year and a big motivator is vanity. I spend a fortune on skin care and yet am ruing my skin with the amount of wine I drink.

I think I’ve also developed a bit of an allergy to it too. I go bright red. And my skin feels hot to the touch. Just with wine. I’m prone to rosacea so assume it’s connected.

So I’m decided to give up wine for January. I usually struggle in part because DH is still drinking but when I said I’d give up wine for January he said he would too. He’s having gin or beer which doesn’t really tempt me. We had wine on Sunday and I felt dreadful after and my skin was bright red and hot again.

I think I can see a difference in my skin after just over a week bar Sunday.

tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz · 11/01/2022 21:41

Pastel
It's a brand called Nyk1. A tube lasts ages even used twice a day. It's often on offer at about £36 and there is always a 15% or so off code about which you can use Ben when it's discounted.

I was massively cynical about it especially on my rubbish sparse lashes but it's worked miracles. I think it contains unicorn tears or something

silentpool · 11/01/2022 21:54

I'm in. I am giving up wine to look better, sleep better and lose weight. I was just drinking one glass of red wine a night but I'm sure that's why the weight was not shifting. 😊

MacavityTheDentistsCat · 11/01/2022 23:50

I'm quite sure that I looked puffy, Pastel - it's so plain to see on our Xmas photos . In one, I even look like I have two healing black eyes, yet all that undereye "smudging" had definitely disappeared in the course of last year.

Peridot: I also have a minor wine allergy and rosacea, and that's an area where I've seen great improvement. The skin over and around my nose was previously constantly blotchy and inflamed and my scalp and neck were very sensitive and itchy. Whilst the red patch either side of my nose is still slightly visible, it's no longer anywhere near as bad as it used to be and my scalp and neck are pretty much back to normal. Plus, when I do have a flair up (such as when I recently rode my bike into a wind at -5°C - sheer stupidity!), I can get my skin back under control much more quickly. What would previously have taken a week is now achieved in a couple of days. It didn't happen overnight but I do think my skin has become more resilient and less reactive to outside influences.

KittyWindbag · 12/01/2022 05:04

I cut right down on alcohol last year combined with a diet to help me lose my baby weight. I resolved to never drink during the week, and the lighter diet and lack of regular wine meant that when I did have a glass of wine, one would definitely be more than enough for me and I’d end up feeling very tipsy.

I thought generally I looked better, but I never thought alcohol could really make much difference to my skin until I indulged a lot over Christmas. After about a week of lots of wine I broke out terribly and my skin was awful. I don’t know for sure it was the booze, but i feel like it was the sugar more than anything else. All alcohol has quite a lot of sugar and a lack of booze and a generally sugar free diet made my skin healthier i think

ILookAtTheFloor · 12/01/2022 12:28

I'm 3 years into cutting out alcohol for vanity.

I tell people it's for health reasons and the fact that alcohol doesn't agree with me. Both are half truths, the main truth is I cut it as part of my skin regime.

To be honest, I was never a big fan and would only ever drink socially and never at home. I don't miss it at all.