Published on
Updated
Reading 3 min.
You may have already experienced it: the day after a party, the skin feels tight, it has spots, the complexion is cloudy… Why does it react like this and how can you avoid showing a bad-day face? Here is advice from a specialist.
Alcohol, fatty, salty and sugary foods, lack of sleep… At the end of the year, the holidays are often synonymous with an unbalanced diet and disrupted pace of life. How can you minimize the impact of these few days on your skin? Here are the tips from Dr Karishma Kagodu, cosmetic surgeon.
Consume alcohol moderately and hydrate well
The last days of the year are an opportunity for many to drink a little more alcohol than usual. But the drink, bad for your health, is also bad for the skin.
A fact confirmed by Dr Karishma Kagodu, cosmetic surgeon interviewed in Vogue India magazine.
“Sugar-based cocktails and high-calorie drinks like rum, beer and soft drinks impact the skin in three ways: Alcohol can cause a sudden increase in insulin levels in the body, fluctuations in your blood sugar levels and interfere with your liver function when consumed very often” estimates the specialist.
Sugar also causes skin inflammation and water retention in the body. “This inflammation causes collagen breakdown, thereby hindering the skin’s cell cycle, leading to dry skin and premature aging” she adds.
Finally, “Alcohol can cause severe dehydration, which causes our organs to consume water from the body, leaving skin dry and tight.” warns the expert.
To counter these effects, it is therefore recommended to hydrate properly by drinking water regularly, and to also hydrate your skin with a cream rich in moisturizing powers.
Avoid meals that are too rich and too salty
Because of excess alcohol, the second misstep of these holidays is often a diet that is too rich and too salty. “Festive cocktails trigger cravings for meaty, salty and fatty foods, which cause many skin problems. The body is dehydrated and craves carbohydrates, causing you to experience increased cravings for high-carb and fatty foods. These are often loaded with saturated fat and higher levels of sugar and calories.” says Dr Kadogu.
Eating excesses that lead to acne breakouts, rashes and “many other problems associated with the body’s endocrine system” adds the doctor. To counter this, it is better to balance your diet as much as possible during the holidays. And to limit inflammation, the doctor advises drinking a glass of curd.
Remember to remove your makeup
It’s two in the morning and all you want to do is go to bed? You will have to go through the makeup removal stage first. “Prolonged makeup on the skin tends to clog your pores, leading to acne, breakouts, skin irritation, and itchy eyes.” estimates the doctor. To avoid damaging your skin, take the time to remove makeup from the evening.
Get a good night’s sleep
Once again, the compromise between sleeping well and spending evenings with family or friends can be difficult to find. However, a good night’s sleep is essential for skin cell regeneration. “Your body produces a hormone called melatonin which has a calming and healing effect on the body.” explains Dr Anand, also interviewed.
“Melatonin is produced a few hours before you fall asleep and this is based on your usual sleep cycle. When your sleep cycle becomes irregular; the body cannot produce enough melatonin, which hinders cell regeneration”. You will have understood that to maintain beautiful skin, it is essential to sleep well, even during this festive period.
Slide: 10 good beauty resolutions for 2024