This Fourth of July holiday, we planned to kick back with our friends and sip on lots of patriotic cocktails. That is, until our deputy managing editor Elyse shared an app that shows us what alcohol does to our skin. (Thanks Elyse!)
Drinking Mirror is a mobile app that illustrates how alcohol consumption can really speed up the aging process. Released earlier this year as part of the Scottish government's Drop a Glass Size campaign, the app allows users to upload or take a photo of themselves, enter their weekly boozing habits and see what they could look like in ten years. And the results are just as scary as this image of a truck driver with sun damage on the left side of his face. We're talking forehead wrinkles, bloodshot eyes and saggy jowls.
The photos that result may be slight exaggerations. But we have to give the Scottish government props for holding a mirror up to the issue of heavy drinking among women in an effort to reduce alcohol-related diseases and deaths.
The connection between health and alcohol hasn't always been clear, especially with studies showing that moderate drinking may be linked with better overall health. Cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Oscar Hevia explains that alcohol consumption has very little to do with broken capillaries. "The sun is much more of a culprit for that than alcohol is," he said. But there's no denying that drinking causes dehydration and makes our skin look tired and unhealthy. To combat this, Dr. Rebecca Baxt recommends consuming one glass of water per alcoholic drink to keep our skin hydrated. (Easier said than done, we know.)
Check out our before and after photos below, then head over to the Drinking Mirror app site to try it yourself.
PHOTOS:
Dana Oliver, senior beauty editor, 1-5 drinks a week
Ellie Krupnick, senior style editor, 6-10 drinks a week
Rebecca Adams, associate editor, 1-5 drinks a week
Lauren Leibowitz, associate editor, 10+ drinks a week
Renee Jacques, style intern, 1-5 drinks a week
Find out what else is adding years to your face -- and how you can turn back time:
Want more HuffPost Style beauty content? Check us out on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostBeauty. (For everything else check out our main HuffPost Style Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram @HuffPostStyle.)
---
Do you have a beauty story idea or tip? Email us at beautytips@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)