The 6 telltale physical traits of a heavy drinker

MOST people enjoy a drink now and then – with dinner, after a long day at work or after work.

But knowing when to stop and not relying on alcohol to get you through the day is key.

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Heavy drinkers may think they don’t have a problem when they don’t alcoholicbut the health implications can be great even if you are not addicted.

Signs can be seen on the skin and body of people who drink too much, so it pays to keep an eye on the people you love.

There are six physical telltale signs that you or a loved one are a heavy drinker and should consider cutting back.

folds

Alcohol causes your body to lose water, which makes you dehydrated.

This affects the skin, making it saggy and wrinkled.

So even if you take great care of your skin, drinking a lot will wrinkle your skin.

It can also make your skin look older because the body detoxifies alcohol – by diverting nutrients to your liver instead of your skin.

And by disrupting sleep, alcohol also affects your skin by disrupting the time it normally takes to repair.

Brittle hair and nails

This is another side effect of dehydration.

It can make nails brittle and cracked, with long-term heavy drinking leading to hair loss and hair loss.

This can also happen due to malnutrition when people primarily consume alcohol.

Red face

Alcohol is an inflammatory substance that can irritate all sorts of parts of the body.

A condition called rosacea, which causes redness on the cheeks, can occur on the face.

It can also cause acne-like bumps, and in people with darker skin it can present as a stinging or burning sensation.

beer belly

People who drink heavily get a big belly – and is not only reserved for beer drinkers.

Even people who have much lighter drinks like spirits and mixed drinks will eventually develop a tummy.

This is because alcohol increases estrogen production and lowers testosterone, which is associated with fat, which then develops around the upper body in men.

This type of fat doesn’t respond well to exercise, according to experts, and is only really broken down when you change your drinking levels.

stained teeth

The acid in alcohol destroys tooth enamel, which can discolor the color of the drink.

Even if you brush your teeth vigorously every night after drinking, the stain will eventually set in.

And over time, this can cause more problems than unsightly teeth, as it can trigger gum disease, tooth decay, bad breath and oral cancer.

Yellow tint

This is a more serious sign that indicates liver disease or damage.

It happens when the liver can no longer filter out a yellow-orange substance in the blood.

It then shows in the skin and is quite noticeable in the whites of the eyes.

Lifestyle changes can treat liver disease if it’s early enough, but a liver transplant is often needed.