Photo by AESOP. Wines© on Unsplash
Today, I’m going to share with you how consuming alcohol can affect your hair — and not in a good way. Now before I get into the “downsides” of alcohol when it comes to your tresses, I think it should go on record that consuming it moderately does have some perks. There are studies to support that drinking alcohol can help reduce stress, boost your libido, decrease the chances of cognitive decline, prevent kidney stones and help to fend of heart disease too.
What does “moderate consumption” consist of?
Good question. Many health experts say that men who drink two glasses and women who drink one, on a daily basis, are typically just fine. However, when it comes to hair health, if you happen to be someone to partakes of more than this or, you’re currently on a mission to grow out your hair and you’re noticing that you’re experiencing a few challenges, I’ve got some solid (and proven”> reasons behind why alcohol may be doing you more harm than good — as it directly relates to you reaching your hair goals in the long run.
1. Alcohol Can Increase Your Blood Sugar Levels
While drinks like rum, gin, whiskey and vodka do not have any sugar added to them, wine contains its fair share (about a gram per serving”>. Not only that but alcohol also contains ethanol; this is a type of alcohol that is made from grains and fruits which have sugars in them. This is why it makes sense that drinking alcohol could cause your blood sugar levels to rise. This isn’t a good thing because having high blood sugar levels can ultimately lead to heart disease, strokes, nerve problems, vision issues, type 2 diabetes and yes, hair loss.
2. Alcohol Affects Your Sleep Patterns
While some of you might want to give me some pushback on this one, hear me out first. Yes, like most people (I would think”>, I have had moments when, an hour or so after having a drink, I am ready to turn in and call it a night (even if it’s daytime”>. Still, peep that I didn’t say that alcohol won’t make you drowsy; I say that it could affect your sleep patterns. And here’s the thing — the reality is, because alcohol has the ability to alter your quality of rest; and sleep-deprivation can increase your stress levels and that can lead to hair dryness, hair breakage and hair loss. Not only should you not rely on alcohol to help you fall asleep, you should always keep in mind that anything that shifts your sleep schedule can ultimately be pretty bad for your hair too.
3. Alcohol Drains Hair of Nutrients
Your hair isn’t going to be healthy if it doesn’t have any nutrients in it and something that alcohol does is hinder vitamins and minerals from being properly absorbed into your system. In fact, according to some studies, alcohol has the ability to cause deficiencies as it directly relates to vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K.
4. Alcohol Can Throw Off Your Thyroid
The main purpose of your thyroid is it helps to properly regulate your metabolism. This is important because your metabolism is responsible for turning food into energy. That said, something that alcohol has a tendency of doing is throwing your thyroid off. This is problematic because when your metabolism isn’t working as it should, that can lead to massive hair shedding and even long-term hair loss.
5. Alcohol Can Shift Your Estrogen
While this particular point can affect all women, it’s actually something that postmenopausal ones should be the most concerned about. The reason why I say that is because, something else that alcohol consumption is able to do, is kick up your estrogen levels. This isn’t good because high levels of this natural hormone can lead to fatigue, weight gain, fertility issues and irregular periods (if you haven’t gone through menopause yet”> and yes, you guessed it, hair loss.
6. Alcohol Dehydrates You
One more. Something that you may or may not know is alcohol is considered to be a diuretic; this means that it actually removes fluids from your system. There is absolutely no way that your hair is going to be healthy if you are dehydrated. So, if you must have more than an occasional drink, please make sure to drink a cup of water for every serving of alcohol. Your hair will be thankful. The rest of your health will be as well.
