Here's what doing dry January will actually do for your skin (and it will totally shock you)

No wine = glow time ✨

02 Jan 2019

If you're partial to a prosecco or need a glass of red with your dinner every night, the thought of no alcohol for an entire month probably seems impossible. Hell, I'm craving a vino just from writing this sentence.

But if there was ever a time to give alcohol abstinence a crack, dry January is the ideal opportunity. Hello, 2019. And if you need any more convincing to give up your favourite tipples this month, your lack of liquor will also see a huge improvement to your skin...

The devastating effects drinking has on the skin

Alcohol is metabolised into an acetaldehyde compound by the body, which makes all the bodies blood vessels relax. Sounds idlylic, but it definitely doesn't look it, according to Dr Imogen Bexfield, founder and medical director at White Swan Aesthetics.


Oh lordy.

Chances are you're already aware of the dehydrating effects alcohol, thanks to the desert-dry mouth that wakes you up at 3 am as you gasp and blindly reach for your water bottle. "This is because it is a diuretic, so you will lose more water than normal by going to the toilet more frequently. As a result, your skin will appear duller and fine lines and wrinkles will be more visible."

And if that isn't already enough to sway you to stop swigging from the bottle, Imogen says: "Alcohol also reduces your vitamin A levels, which is a powerful antioxidant and also has a key role in the production of collagen. As we age, we lose collagen and elastin, which causes the face to ‘sag’ and so alcohol is speeding up the ageing process of the skin."

Plus if white wine and cocktails are your drinks of choice, you're also consuming a sh*t tonne of sugar, which means your more likely to suffer breakouts.

How long to quit the drink for better skin

The good news is that if you're planning to quit the drink, there's a high chance you'll be able to see an improvement.

"It takes approximately 28 days for your skin to renew itself", says Imogen. "This process varies from person to person and is age dependent, so to see a difference in the condition of your skin you would need to give up drinking for at least a month to see an improvement."

After this time, your skin should feel more hydrated, and plumper - and it’s also likely that you will have more of a ‘glow’ and healthier complexion.

What to do if you truly can't give up


"As a general rule, try to stick to the clear liquors without extra sugar or preservatives as the body can get rid of these much quicker", says Imogen. "The sugar in cocktails can spike insulin levels which causes numerous negative effects and can make the skin lifeless and pale."


Imogen also offers this excellent advice for the morning after, "have a cold, refreshing shower to help wake you up, and reduce puffiness and swelling."
