13 Physical Appearance Changes Since Going Sober

Today, I am 13 months alcohol-free, and I want to share 13 physical appearance changes I have noticed:

1. Skin is more dewy & radiant 

2. Fewer wrinkles; I'm told I look younger

3. No longer suffer from hot flushes

4. Clearer skin, smaller paws & less breakouts

5. Now, I rarely have dark circles under my eyes

6. Eyes are brighter & whiter

7. Teeth are naturally whiter

8. Face & body is no longer puffy & bloated

9. Hair is shinier, growing faster & thicker

10. Nails are stronger

11 Weight loss

12. I've built muscle & look more toned

13. I look happier because I feel healthier 

You don't need to take my word for it; let me explain the science behind the ways alcohol affects your physical appearance.

Alcohol is a significant source of dehydration that doesn't only affect your internal organs; it affects your external too, and your skin is the largest organ you have. Alcohol speeds up the ageing process because of a premature loss of collagen and elasticity in the skin. So, instead of having smooth, dewy and radiant skin, your skin is more wrinkled, scaly and cracked. 

Alcohol causes your face to look red and swollen because it widens the blood vessels that bring blood to your face. Over time, these vessels get bigger and bigger, which can lead to permanent redness or blotchiness and a loss of skin tone. All that expanding also encourages enlarged blood vessels beneath your skin or blood vessels that burst, especially around the nose and face. 

Consumption of alcohol can reduce the immune system functionality, which, on a physical appearance level, ultimately makes you more prone to foreign body attacks, which can lead to breakouts in the skin.

Just one drink per day for a woman reduces sleep quality by 24%, and more than one drink reduces sleep quality by nearly 40%! In a study, the faces of sleep-deprived individuals were perceived as having more hanging eyelids, redder eyes, more swollen eyes and darker circles under the eyes. Sleep deprivation was also associated with paler skin and more droopy corners of the mouth, so people also looked sadder when sleep-deprived than after normal sleep, and sadness was related to looking fatigued. They don't call it beauty sleep for nothing.

Alcohol contains acid, and when left on teeth for extended periods of time, it causes erosion. It eats away at the enamel (the hard outer layer of teeth), resulting in permanent and irreversible damage. Alcoholic drinks that boast deep, dark shades are generally the culprits for staining teeth.

When your body becomes dehydrated, it is deprived of fluid and electrolytes, so it counteracts this by retaining the water it already has. Your gut starts to bloat. Your feet, hands, and face may also swell and become puffy. 

Alcohol contributes to brittle hair, split ends, and cracked nails. Alcohol can cause you to lose your hair, this is because alcohol causes a zinc deficiency in the body, which leads to hair loss.

There are so many ways alcohol contributes to weight gain; here are just a few. Another aspect of alcohol that is often overlooked is its caloric content. Alcohol is a macronutrient that contains 7 calories per gram. This is almost double the amount of calories found in carbohydrates and protein, which both contain 4 calories per gram. Fat is the most calorie-dense macronutrient, containing 9 calories per gram.

Not only does alcohol provide a dense source of calories—alcohol stops your body from burning fat — but because alcohol is poison to the liver, the liver prioritizes processing alcohol over digesting other foods (and all other tasks). Hence, it stores any food you've just eaten as fat.

Alcohol can contribute to dangerously low blood sugar levels, which can make us feel bad (uneasy, tired, restless, and anxious) and overconsume calorie-rich foods. Also, as your inhibitions lower as you consume alcohol, you are more likely to be more compulsive and over-order at the late-night kebab shop.

Drinking alcohol after a workout prevents efficient muscle healing by decreasing the secretion of the hormone. As a result, you will feel sore longer and have to wait a longer time period for your muscles to heal fully. Binge drinking also plays a role in decreasing muscle growth. Instead of increasing testosterone levels, which would help grow the muscles, alcohol increases the hormone cortisol (the same hormone that causes stress) and destroys all the muscles you are trying to build.

Much of what I have described about drug and alcohol use is not rocket science, but it is health science. Unfortunately, when actively using, we tend to forget the simple rules of good health and beauty. It is beautiful when someone has quit drinking or using, and their hair has grown back, their eyes are bright, their skin is glowing, and they feel good. Look in the mirror and see for yourself. Who needs Botox? Sobriety makes you healthier and more attractive inside and out – naturally.

Studies show that happier people are healthier and treat their bodies better, so you can clearly see why someone who is now alcohol-free look happier. Dr. Purushothaman says that happier people are more attractive to everyone around them and make a more positive impression wherever they go. 

You can reap the benefits of sobriety in just one month; read my blog here: Benefits of Taking A Month Break From Booze.