Booze also irritates delicate electrical pathways in the heart which are responsible for keeping heartbeat steady and coordinated. The resulting arrhythmias and other conduction disorders are indicative of premature aging. Plus, we’re alcoholism symptoms always introducing new features to optimize your in-app experience.

Before and After Drugs

Our dedicated team of professionals is here to guide and support you in your addiction recovery journey, laying the foundation for long-term sobriety and relapse prevention. Although some of the age-related effects of alcohol may persist, the longer you abstain from drinking, the more youth-restoring regeneration can take place. Your body has an amazing ability to rebound and regenerate once alcohol is out of the picture. It is possible to reverse some of the aging effects caused by cumulative alcohol consumption, however, not all damage alcohol inflicts on your health may be completely reversible.

It Can Slow Your Brain

Additionally, when a person uses drugs, their liver has to work overtime to detoxify the body. This means that the organ produces more free radicals than the body’s antioxidants can handle. Modern scientists believe that free radicals are one of the biggest contributors to cellular aging because they attack does alcohol make you look older everything from your fatty tissue to your DNA and proteins.

• According to a study in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, smokers are likelier to experience drooping, sagging eyelids, and sunken jowls.
• We slather on anti-aging creams, try fancy facials, and maybe even dabble in the occasional Botox.
• The breakdown of these fibers leads to sagging skin, deeper wrinkles, and an overall aged appearance.
• Use of alcohol showed a 0.81 risk of having prominent wrinkles, compared to non-drinkers.
• But when alcohol enters the scene, it’s harder for your body to hold onto these vital nutrients, which can make your skin look dull and less youthful.

What Are the Invisible Effects of Aging Caused by Alcohol Use?

Prior to that, she was the senior editor for the TODAY Show. She started her career as a general news and lifestyle reporter and has interviewed legends like Maya Angelou and covered the 2014 Olympics from Sochi, Russia. Let’s find out the science behind the connection between alcohol and aging, and uncover how going alcohol-free can be your most potent anti-aging secret weapon. Proper nutrition, hydration, and skincare will also help. Even more, if a person gets psychological support, many individuals can regain much of their lost vitality and appearance. Once bright eyes now look tired and red, the skin appears dull and lackluster, and the overall demeanor just feels (and looks) defeated.

It Can Keep You Up at Night

• For one, alcohol’s dehydrating effects can cause atrophy of the saliva glands which creates the perfect environment for periodontitis.
• Many substances also directly affect a person’s physical appearance, causing them to look much older than they actually are.
• Thus far, nobody has tried to conduct studies using other forms of cannabis, such as edibles, vapes, or tinctures.
• Consuming alcohol increases the secretion of cortisol, a stress hormone.

The damage then leads to major conditions like diabetes, heart disease, neurological issues, and many other age-related diseases. As far as substances go, alcohol is a widely accepted and consumed choice. However, this doesn’t mean that it is safe for your body or that it won’t age you prematurely. Alcohol can deplete vitamin A and collagen levels, resulting in premature wrinkles. It also acts as a diuretic and encourages dehydration, which can make the skin dry and wrinkly. When we talk about aging, we are often referring to the visible changes that come with getting older, like looser skin and changes in hair color.

Why Can’t I Stop Drinking Once I Start? 4 Major Reasons

This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care. Studies show that cocaine speeds up the loss of gray matter in the brain. Normally, this loss of gray matter occurs as we age and is one of the reasons for memory loss and drops in cognitive abilities in older adults. In fact, in the alcohol drinkers, 53% were in the highest wrinkle category.

Your belly is disproportionate to the rest of your body.

A professional detox ensures the safety and security of the process, as well as medical assistance when needed to reduce the discomfort and risk of relapse or other complications. Coupled with a reduction in lean body mass and water, this can lead older people to experience increased blood alcohol levels compared to those of a younger person. Broken bones from a stumble are a serious health issue for seniors. It’s because alcohol can affect your balance and sense of judgment. Over time, it also can damage the cerebellum, the area in your brain that handles balance and coordination. You have to be old enough to drink it legally, and once you are, it can age you faster than normal.

Instead of lulling you into a restful night, alcohol can actually keep you from getting to sleep and lead to restless slumber. That can be particularly hard on seniors, who are already more likely to wake up often or have a sleep disorder like insomnia. As you get older, you have less water in your body and — for reasons that aren’t quite clear –you also feel thirsty less often.