Drinking = Pimples?

[bobbobbins]

I've noticed that when i drink alcohol i break out with pimples...does anyone know how to counteract this, as i like to drink alot! Would just drinking alot of water help? or are there other methods, if any?

[Spider Jerusalem]

1. It's the impurities in the alcohol...

coming out through your pores (the skin is the body's largest excretory organ). Wash more often, or switch to vodka (it's more pure, since it's filtred through charcoal).

[bobbobbins]

2. damn, vodkas what i usually drink

[Spider Jerusalem]

3. Ouch...

afraid I can't offer any suggestions there, then...

[Sanity Claws]

4. Liver problem

I don't know whether you are serious but there is a connection between the two. I'll try to give my simplistic layman's understanding. Your liver is an organ that helps cleanse your blood of impurities. If you tax your liver with alcohol and stuff like that, the liver is unable to do the job it's supposed to and the result is the impurities coming out through your skin.
My understanding is based on Chinese medicine under which I have found relief for my long-standing migraines, another result of the liver not being able to do its job.

[bobbobbins]

6. yikes...i may need to stop drinking...

but i love it so =(

[Sanity Claws]

7. Maybe not totally

Why not try drinking less and seeing whether your body can tolerate that? Also, you might want to cut back on other things that may be taxing your liver, like smoking. Also, you need an adequate amount of sleep to allow your liver to work at its best.

[tcfrogs]

12. Then why did I start getting pimples at age 14?

I wasn't drinking then...:wtf:

[Hippo_Tron]

5. I don't think it has anything to do with it

My advice, go see a dermatologist and ask what they think.

[Kali]

8. there is a connection between liver and skin

the classic example is jaundice. Never heard of an alcohol/pimple reaction but it wouldn't hurt to lay off for a while and eat healthy, maybe have a thourough check-up. The husband has been having odd rashes and other skin problems, drinks a lot of cheap "lite" beer - I am convinced the rashes are liver related as well. One problem with a dermatologist is they will likely try to give you cortizone - powereful and effective, but actually drives the problem back into the body, and if that is where it is originating this can be dangerous.

[Hippo_Tron]

11. If you mean cortizone pills, those aren't supposed to be taken regularly

My dermatologist used to give me those for a short while to clear up my skin. The trouble is that I just started breaking out again after I was done taking them. Long story short I found a more permanent solution with tetracycline and some topical creams used daily. My dermatologist is very aggressive about fighting acne (recommended that I use accutane despite the fact that my acne was never even close to being that bad) but she has never suggested anything about eating different foods or not drinking alcohol. I've read that there is a connection between liver and skin and that people who never get acne, not even in the teenage years have a very powerful liver. However, I don't think the connection works as simple as, if you drink lots of alcohol you have skin problems. I know lots of people who drink like fish and have no skin problems.

[Kali]

13. this is why many people are turned off by "modern medicine"

to have a person supposedly trained in science not realize that nutrition is important to health just takes my breath away. Anybody who takes a little tiny bit of time to observe can see that the first step in ANY illness should be to get good nutrition, clean water and enough rest going BEFORE ANY medications are to be tried. (veternarians generally know this why don't MD's?) But that doesn't generate much money and isn't fast enough for us is it?

We are so good at trauma and emergencies we just assume the rest of the medical profession can perform as miraculously. Just ain't so, most illness is related to lifestyle and took time to manifest - it is only logical it will take time and corrective behavior to heal.

Try eating sensibly and balanced with lots of fresh fruits and vegs, lean meat if you like, plenty of water and getting plenty of rest. A bit of sensible excersize added wouldn't hurt either. See if you still need to se a dermatologist after a couple of months of that.

[Hippo_Tron]

14. I still have teenage acne, I still need treatment for it

And although I don't eat as sensibly as I should (I don't eat terribly, though) I get pleanty of exercise running cross country and during the season I walk around with a water bottle and drink it constantly. Getting plenty of rest isn't really an option as I wouldn't perform academically without staying up late at night to work. In a few years my teenage acne will probably start to go away, as I will not be a teenager anymore. Acne may have a small lifestyle component but acne is a serious problem that almost all teenagers have no matter how they eat, sleep, exercise, etc.

[Kali]

15. hmmm ... did not realise you were a teen

teen acne is still not a fully understood phenomenon - though probably related to hormonal changes. The general nutritional advice remains (can't go wrong with eating healthy, duh) but treatments are varied, as are results.

Personally I had more acne problems in my 20's and 30's than my teen years, even now in my forties I tend to have a few pimples right after my period. Wonder if it will finally go away with menopause?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

9. Water is a good idea

Alcohol dehydrates your system. If I don't drink water after consuming alcohol, I get a nasty headache.

I don't know if it'll help your skin or not. Checking with your dermatologist is a good recommendation.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. I used to get acne after drinking a lot of beer

:shrug:

I no longer drink a lot of beer at once, so I don't know how I would react now.