“Alcohol with high sugar content causes a quick spike in your insulin. This sudden surge causes a release in androgen hormone which makes our skin produce more oil. This, in turn, can cause blackheads, whiteheads and acne,” explains Sk:n consultant dermatologist Dr Shaaira Nasir.

“As a pro-inflammatory, alcohol also contributes to puffiness and also the worsening of inflammatory skin conditions. As alcohol is a diuretic, it can therefore cause the skin to look dull and increase fine lines. The high sugar content in alcohol also causes glycation – a process that hardens our collagen causing the skin to age faster.

“Alcohol causes flushing and worsens redness in those with rosacea through histamine release. It’s also known to flare inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, seborrheic dermatitis and urticaria (hives). Excess alcohol intake also causes DNA damage causing skin ageing and can lead to an increase in non-melanoma skin cancers.

“Binge drinking causes a sudden surge in sugar in the bloodstream. Your body produces a spike in insulin to break down the sugar, this also causes a raised amount of hormone release called androgen which increases oil production. Alcohol also increases inflammation which also contributes to worsening acne. Increased oil and inflammation cause acne spots to form.”

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