Facing up to alcoholism with new photo tool
By Sarah Berry
October 29, 2014 — 12.00am
Photo tools are traditionally the realm of electronic games, providing a little light entertainment. Think fat face generators or photo warp tools. But a rehab clinic has come up with a distinctly disturbing tool to show you the impact of alcohol on your appearance.
Titled Your Face as an Alcoholic, rehab.com's feature allows you to upload a picture of yourself and then shows the effect of alcoholism on your skin and face after two, five, 10, 15 and 20 years.
Not pretty: the effect of alcohol on our appearance. Credit:Getty Images
"The purpose of the program is to create a shock factor for users, preying on the vanity, in hopes that the very ugly future of their actions will incite behavioural change," a spokesperson from the organisation said.
The risk list as a result of alcohol abuse is long. It includes anaemia, cancer, dementia, depression, gout, high blood pressure, nerve damage, pancreatitis, cardiovascular disease and cirrhosis.
Life & Style reporter Rachel tries out the tool.
The effects are not just internal.
Alcohol is fattening - all empty kilojoules and sugar. A large glass of wine has the equivalent kilojoules to a slice of cake.
It also dehydrates your body generally, including the skin - your body's largest organ - leaving it looking dry and dull and the hair brittle.
It can lead to rosacea, a condition where the skin reddens easily, and cause burst blood vessels, leaving the cheeks and nose permanently red.
The Cabin Chiang Mai's guide to drinking. Credit:The Cabin Chiang Mai
The blood vessels beneath the eyes can also become more prominent, leading to dark circles, while leaked lymph fluid from blood vessels can lead to a puffy face and eyes.
Because of the way alcohol depletes the body of vital nutrients, it also accelerates ageing.
Take The Cabin's quiz. Credit:The Cabin Chiang Mai
About one in every nine Australians drinks alcohol at a risky or high-risk level. Our drinking habits put us in the top 15 countries with the highest alcohol consumption.
At a national alcohol conference in Canberra on Tuesday, the Australian Medical Association warned that Australia has a drinking problem and said we need to address our culture of consumption.
"We need to shape our attitudes and culture to make sure we minimise people's harmful alcohol consumption," AMA president Brian Owler said.
"We're not against alcohol - we're not prohibitionists or wowsers - but we need to make sure our children's attitudes to alcohol are shaped properly," he said.
Sarah Berry is a lifestyle and health writer at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via Twitter or email.
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