NOT SUCH A GREAT APP FOR THAT

This one could easily fall into the “too much information” category.

A new Smart Phone app says it shows the physical signs of aging caused by alcohol consumption.  The free app, called the “Drinking Mirror”, works on anyone but was actually designed to target women who drink heavily.  Rolled out by the Scottish government as part of a health campaign, the app allows users to upload a photo and then, based on how much consumption they admit to drinking in a week, they can see what they’ll look like in ten years.  Admitting to 6 to 1O glasses a week morphs a flawless face into one with deep set wrinkles, red eyes and cheeks and a significant weight gain.

Dr. Tina Alster of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery in DC says that there is some truth to the shocking image staring back at you.  “Alcohol has been shown to diminish the elasticity of your skin so that you show more wrinkles, also makes your skin a little bit more sensitive to the sun, so that you end up with more freckling or blotchiness to your skin.”  Alcohol leads to vasodilation, a dilation of blood vessels, making them bigger.  That’s why when people drink you see their faces get flushed, and if you do that enough time the flushing doesn’t go away.  Dr. Alster says the images should be taken with a grain of salt, and that a drink or two a week won’t do any long term damage.  The Scottish government says the app encourages people to take a look at how small changes can have a huge impact on their health.