Do you have 'wine face'? Skin expert shares tell-tales signs alcohol could be ageing you

It's not just red cheeks that suggest someone might be overindulging in alcohol.

A UK facialist and nutritionist has revealed to the Daily Mail there are several tell-tale signs your wine habit might be getting the better of your appearance.

Katie White owns a skin studio re:lax in London's Hackney and says alcohol is a "key offender" when it comes to ageing your face.

Here are three ways drinking impacts your appearance and some key ways to limit or reverse the damage.

Alcohol is a diuretic

White says because alcohol is a diuretic it can dehydrate the skin leaving it dull, dry and lacking in "plumpness".

She tells the Daily Mail: "As our body will priories vital organs such as the brain or liver – connective tissue such as collagen (which keeps skin youthful) is one of the first things to stop receiving hydration which can lead to the formation of wrinkles."

A bad night's sleep

Its well-known sleep can impact appearance but you may not have realised how much a few too many wines can affect your sleep.

If you've wondered why you're waking up with bags under your eyes, White explains that drinking affects sleep patterns and "suppresses the body's production of melatonin which is an essential for good quality sleep."

It's during sleep that our body works to rebuild our skin's collagen and repair UV damage, which in turn helps reduce wrinkles and age spots.

"Poor sleep means less opportunity to repair," says White.

Sugar high

Sugar is often a go-to for making alcohol taste good. So when you're overindulging on alcohol, you're also ingesting high amounts of sugar too.

White explains that sugar impacts the elasticity in your skin because the molecules "attach to collagen and elastin proteins through a process called glycation."

She says this process produces what's known as Advanced Glycosylation End-products (AGEs) and this is what causes fine lines, wrinkles and sallowness.

So how can you still enjoy a vino but avoid wearing the impact on your face?

White says it's all in the dose and suggests treating alcohol as "a treat" rather than a must-have for every dinner.

Drinking a glass of water after each glass of wine can also help mitigate the impacts of alcohol on your skin, plus it should go some way to ward off a headache the next day.

This article was first published on the NZ Herald and is republished with permission.