Why Alcohol Affects You More As You Age

If heavy drinking is a regular thing, you could face some potentially irreversible skin damage. It looks like patting the waters of the fountain of youth onto your skin is still more effective than drinking from it! Look for topical products like creams containing vitamin A with ingredients like retinol and tretinoin. These are the gold standard for boosting collagen in the skin. Vitamin C serums are also fantastic for increasing collagen. Unfortunately, you usually have very little control over where your body puts things.

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. Red wine has antioxidants does drinking make you look old called polyphenols that may help your cholesterol level and protect your blood vessels. If you drink it in moderation (about one glass a day), some studies show that it might be good for your heart.

How Alcohol Affects Your Hair

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 https://ecosoberhouse.com/ from Sochi, Russia. Alcohol is a factor in about 30% of suicides and fatal motor vehicle crashes, 40% of fatal burn injuries, 50% of fatal drownings and homicides, and 65% of fatal falls.

  • This can be the case because the side effects of drinking in older adults are mistaken for other conditions related to aging, for example, a problem with balance.
  • This limits the body’s ability to maintain itself, resulting in faster aging.
  • By adding extra stress to your body and depriving it of the nutrients it needs to rebuild, alcohol can place you years ahead in the aging process, and affect how you look.
  • We also know that it’s vital to seek specialized help for alcohol addiction, which can make you look older and cause a myriad of physical and mental health problems.

If you feel that alcohol is endangering you or someone else, call 911 or obtain similar help right away. Adults of all ages who drink alcohol and drive are at higher risk of traffic accidents than those who do not drink. Drinking slows reaction times and coordination, and interferes with eye movement and information processing. People who drink even a moderate amount are at higher risk for traffic accidents, possibly resulting in injury or death to themselves and others. (Note that even without alcohol, the risk of a car accident goes up starting at age 55.) Also, older drivers tend to be more seriously hurt in crashes than younger drivers.

The Effects of Alcohol on Skin and Aging

After a person becomes sober and learns ways to live healthier, he or she will notice an improved appearance. To take the first step in the right direction, contact us today. For men, heavy drinking is defined as four drinks a day or more than 14 drinks a week. For women, it’s defined as three drinks a day or more than seven drinks a week (1).