Do you know what alcohol actually does to your body and the way you look? Apparently, there are different haunting effects of alcohol that people may not be aware of.
Let us first determine why people take alcohol. Often times, alcohol is seen as a means to "belong to a crowd" or to get that "lightheartedness" feeling that people long for, especially after a long day. However, it is necessary to look beyond this and what it actually does to you and your body, upon having too much.
Don't get me wrong, you don't have to completely give up drinking alcohol. In fact, studies have proven that a small amount of red wine is beneficial to the heart. (Take note: small amounts) Yes, alcohol may have its benefits, but only up to a point.
How Alcohol Affects Your Body
The thing is, too much alcohol makes one vulnerable to different complications. When we're drunk, we lose sight of our behavior, feelings, emotions, and what is actually happening around us. But what's more pressing is that we lose sight of the more risky effects. The fact is, alcohol has already killed many people around the world. Indeed, becoming addicted to alcohol is dangerous and poses numerous threats. Too much drinking has been known to cause serious complications to the kidneys, liver, pancreas, and brain. It dehydrates the body, causes impotence, and weakens eyesight. Moreover, it eats away the lining of the stomach, causes diabetes and obesity, and not to mention the way it speeds up the aging process.
How Alcohol Affects Your Physical Appearance
As mentioned earlier, too much alcohol can compromise bodily functions, taking its toll not only inside the body, but also on one's physical appearance. Below are some of the effects of alcohol on our physical appearance:
1. It Causes Damage to the Skin
Too much alcohol deprives the skin of Vitamin A, making the skin look lifeless. You see, Vitamin A serves as an important antioxidant that replaces old skin with new skin cells, helping skin have that natural glow. It also dilates the blood vessels in the skin. This makes the skin gradually lose its healthy skin tone, producing a dull complexion.
Skin disorders may also arise from too much alcohol. Redness marks, and bumps, are among the attributes of such disorders. People with acne may also get a certain condition called 'rosacea' that worsens the complexion, making it constantly irritated and flushed.
2. It Causes Bloat
Remember the term "beer belly"?, Well aside from alcohol causing a bloated belly because of the damage it makes on our organs, alcohol can also cause facial bloat due to ingested water that is stored in our faces since our body is deprived of the necessary fluids.
3. It Speeds Up the Aging Process
Too much alcohol makes you look much older than you really are, making your skin look dull, unhealthy, and aged. Some may look 10 or more years older than their actual age. Moreover, resorting to various treatments may not result in improvements because the damage may well be irreversible.
People who engage in too much alcohol drinking, especially those who have alcohol addictions, are vulnerable and may have experienced the effects mentioned above. If you are among these people or know of those who are, it is advisable for you to seek help and make necessary efforts to prevent further damage. Remember that we should learn to take care of each other and of ourselves, and this involves taking care of our bodies (both inside and out) and not abusing it with toxic elements.