If you have a skin condition, alcohol may impact your skin’s health in the following ways:
Rosacea
Rosacea is a skin condition that causes facial flushing. Drinking alcohol dilates blood vessels, which may leak inflammatory substances that may trigger rosacea flares and worsen this flushing, says Richard Krathen, MD, founder of Florida Dermatology Specialists in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
How much alcohol you need to drink to cause this reaction differs for everyone, says Dr. Krathen: “Some people have a genetic tendency toward extreme flushing with even very small amounts of alcohol.”
Although alcohol is a common rosacea trigger, not everyone will find that drinking makes their skin disease worse.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that can cause patches of thick, scaly skin. One review of research on psoriasis and alcohol notes that increasing alcohol use is linked with worsening psoriasis severity.
Drinking alcohol may even induce psoriasis in those who are genetically prone to the skin disease. In vitro and animal studies have shown that alcohol use increases pro-inflammatory activity in skin. It may also speed up the way skin cells multiply (keratinocyte proliferation), which can make psoriasis symptoms worse, according to the review. But it’s worth noting that these studies did not include human participants.
Drinking alcohol may also negatively affect psoriasis treatment and impact other conditions that some people get along with psoriasis, such as psoriatic arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and liver disease.
“The link between alcohol and psoriasis is well-documented,” says Kazlouskaya. “More severe forms of psoriasis are often seen in patients with heavy alcohol consumption, likely due to increased systemic [body-wide] inflammation.”
According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, it’s wise to follow a heart-healthy diet, which includes limiting alcohol. If you have severe psoriasis, you may benefit from abstaining from drinking entirely. If not, stick to moderation.
Another challenge, according to research, is that those with psoriasis may feel psychological distress from the disease, which is a risk factor for excessive alcohol use.
Eczema
“Eczema is a generic term for skin inflammation,” says Kormeili. “Understanding that, you can see that any inflammatory product in your body (such as alcohol) can cause eczema to get worse.”
According to one research review, some studies have found a dose-dependent relationship between alcohol use and the risk for atopic dermatitis, the most common type of eczema. In other words, the more alcohol you drink, the greater the risk.
Acne
Acne has a number of causes. Along with plugged pores from sebum (oil) and dead skin cells, bacteria and inflammation also play a role in breakouts.
Drinking alcohol appears to be a risk factor for acne, particularly mild acne, although exactly why it may raise your risk is unclear.
Another issue is that drinking alcohol may affect your hormones, says Kormeili. Because alcohol use can affect the liver, and the liver is involved in hormone balance, altering hormone levels could lead to acne and inflammation, she says.
Dandruff
Some research suggests that regular alcohol use may be linked with flares of seborrheic dermatitis, also known as dandruff.
One case-controlled and case-crossover study recruited 189 people with a flare of seborrheic dermatitis, as well as 189 people in a control group. Each person answered a questionnaire on the number of flare-ups they’d had over the last two years, as well as lifestyle factors like alcohol use and perceived stress. Both alcohol use and stress were found to be the significant factors in a dandruff flare, although more research is needed.
“It’s not surprising that alcohol may worsen seborrheic dermatitis, as this condition shares many inflammatory pathways with psoriasis,” says Kazlouskaya.
Skin Cancer
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. According to one scientific review, alcohol intake is linked to a heightened risk of both melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer) and non-melanoma skin cancers (the most common form of skin cancer).
The more you drink, the greater the risk, according to the review. “Alcohol weakens the skin’s immune defenses,” Kazlouskaya explains.
Plus, according to the research, alcohol generates free radicals when skin is exposed to UV rays, making damage to DNA worse and potentially leading to the development of cancer.