Ibeauty

How much alcohol it takes to trigger rosacea, though, seems to vary. “Each person has a different tolerance,” says Tanya Kormeili, MD, a dermatologist in Santa Monica, California. “What triggers one person may not be enough to do so for a different patient.”

This raises a question: What’s the connection between rosacea and alcohol?

Well, because rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition, the effects of drinking alcohol have a lot to do with inflammation, notes a study published in June 2017 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. When evaluating rosacea risk in American women, researchers found that drinking booze increased the production of inflammatory cytokines, which are cell-signaling molecules. This increase, in turn, can lead to vasodilation, or a widening of the blood vessels.

The fact that alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate is what exacerbates rosacea, says Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with offices in New York City and Hicksville, New York.

So, what are your options if alcohol bothers your skin? Try these science-backed tips to help minimize a red reaction.