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butlerian
Joined: 04 Sep 2006
Location: Korea
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 Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:12 am Post subject: Red face when drinking? |
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During the winter, I've started to find that sometimes, when I drink alcohol, my face goes very red - not just my cheeks, but sometimes also my forehead and neck. This has never happened to me before - the most I've experienced from a heavy drinking session has been red cheeks, but nothing out of the ordinary.
I'm hoping it's because of dryness - winter is known to make your skin dry and, since I'm from a very wet country - the UK - the change in humidity is significant. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I never needed to use a moisturiser in the UK, but here it's indispensible. Still, a trip to a sauna, for example, leaves my skin really dry... |
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princess
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: soul of Asia
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:16 am Post subject: |
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Solution??? Don't be a drunk. Simple. I have been tipsy a few times, but never what you would call so drunk that I would need to be carried out on someone's back. I have seen some of these "perfect"  Korean girls behaving this way though. One Korean girl I know said she has gained 9kg since last year. That's about 22 pounds. She drinks like a fish though. She drank 20 bottles of beer in one night she said. Duh! Beer drinking is a surefire way to gain weight and keep a red face. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:30 am Post subject: |
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Alcohol flush reaction, the more technical name, describes the body's inability to break down ingested alcohol completely. You and others like you have an inactive enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), which is normally responsible for breaking down acetaldehyde, a byproduct of the metabolism of alcohol. Acetaldehyde is a toxin and if your body can't break it down, it accumulates and causes flushing. Other symptoms you might experience include dizziness, nausea, headaches, and an increased pulse.
...it is genetic and can be passed on by either or both parents.
Because it's genetic, there isn't much you can do to prevent your red face. Tolerance levels and the severity of flushing and other symptoms vary from individual to individual, so you might want to test how much alcohol it takes before your rosiness becomes noticeable. If your coloring makes you self-conscious, sometimes the room is dark enough that people may not notice. If people do notice, they may think you are warm or excited to see them. You could also explain to any drinking partners why you're turning red, but it's likely they will soon forget about your flushed face.
There is some suspicion that a build up of acetaldehyde can cause cancer, but more research needs to be done before a definitive answer can be given. Otherwise, there are no known long-term health consequences resulting from the alcohol flush reaction. |
Asians, Jews and the Irish are especially prone to it.
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/2327.html
I don't turn red but my good friend whose ancestors come from Denmark turns a deep red. My Korean and Irish friends have too. |
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Ryst Helmut
Joined: 26 Apr 2003
Location: In search of the elusive signature...
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:49 am Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
Asians, Jews and the Irish are especially prone to it. |
Not all.
!shoosh,
Ryst |
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butlerian
Joined: 04 Sep 2006
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:01 am Post subject: |
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| princess wrote: |
| Solution??? Don't be a drunk. Simple. I have been tipsy a few times, but never what you would call so drunk that I would need to be carried out on someone's back. I have seen some of these "perfect" Korean girls behaving this way though. One Korean girl I know said she has gained 9kg since last year. That's about 22 pounds. She drinks like a fish though. She drank 20 bottles of beer in one night she said. Duh! Beer drinking is a surefire way to gain weight and keep a red face. |
"Princess", are you for real? You seem like the anti-christ of the "MissSeoul" character, and I hope I haven't missed the joke somewhere!
Van Islander...thanks for the info, but I doubt it's due to a missing enzyme as I never had this problem before coming to Korea. I'm sure the levels of humidity and the associated dry skin is a more likely cause.
Last edited by butlerian on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:12 am; edited 1 time in total |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:07 am Post subject: |
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| butlerian wrote: |
| Van Islander...thanks for the info, but I doubt it's due to a missing enzyme as I never had this problem before coming to Korea. I'm sure the levels of humidity and the associated dry skin is a more likely cause. |
Not necessarily. If you're drinking more over here the condition could have surfaced itself, as it often is onset in adulthood rather than everpresent.
BTW, it is a major cause of hangovers other than dehydration. Might explain some cases of how guys like me never get hangovers from soju or rum as long as three glasses of water are consumed before bed. |
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butlerian
Joined: 04 Sep 2006
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:15 am Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
| butlerian wrote: |
| Van Islander...thanks for the info, but I doubt it's due to a missing enzyme as I never had this problem before coming to Korea. I'm sure the levels of humidity and the associated dry skin is a more likely cause. |
Not necessarily. If you're drinking more over here the condition could have surfaced itself, as it often is onset in adulthood rather than everpresent.
BTW, it is a major cause of hangovers other than dehydration. Might explain some cases of how guys like me never get hangovers from soju or rum as long as three glasses of water are consumed before bed. |
Maybe, but I was like you before this winter - very rarely get a hangover, and if I did it was because of dehydration. I'm also not of Irish, Jewish or Asian descent, which would lower the chances. Anyway, I'll be applying moisturising cream more liberally and frequently over the next few weeks to see if it makes any difference. If not, you could be right. |
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Chris2007
Joined: 20 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:26 am Post subject: |
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| It can be caused by an inactive enzyme but thats mostly the cause for Asians. For many others its the tiny blood vessels in your face (capillaries) that become dilated due to alchohol. This results in facial flushing or redness. |
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butlerian
Joined: 04 Sep 2006
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:50 am Post subject: |
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| Chris2007 wrote: |
| It can be caused by an inactive enzyme but thats mostly the cause for Asians. For many others its the tiny blood vessels in your face (capillaries) that become dilated due to alchohol. This results in facial flushing or redness. |
Yeah, I know that's the main reason why. My concern is more because it's been happening much more severely recently than previously. Still, I'm becoming more convinced it's due to the lack of humidity as I have been having some problems in the winter because of dry skin. |
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Fresh Prince
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: The glorious nation of Korea
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:36 am Post subject: |
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| I've had that problem here too. None of the above descriptions fit me either. Back home I could drink like a fish with no redness. I experienced it first in Korea. At first I thought that it was the water used to make the beer however it happened when drinking imported varieties bottled in their respective countries. It will be interesting to see if it persists after returning home. |
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amanda114
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 7:39 am Post subject: |
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| princess wrote: |
| Solution??? Don't be a drunk. Simple. I have been tipsy a few times, but never what you would call so drunk that I would need to be carried out on someone's back. I have seen some of these "perfect" Korean girls behaving this way though. One Korean girl I know said she has gained 9kg since last year. That's about 22 pounds. She drinks like a fish though. She drank 20 bottles of beer in one night she said. Duh! Beer drinking is a surefire way to gain weight and keep a red face. |
When ever I read a post/reply from that of 'Princess' I always get annoyed! You (Princess) always come across like everyone else is crap/bad and you are much better than them. I think its great to have a high self-esteem and all, but really you over step the mark. You seem to twist someones post to suit yourself, and tell the world how great of a princess you are!
Gezz the guy didn't ask for a lecture about how bad drinking is and that it will lead to weight gain, or did he say that he was drinking so much that he was getting drunk!
Get over yourself Princess for the sake of everyone! |
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snarkycaroline
Joined: 04 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 7:57 am Post subject: |
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| So yeah, I'm half Asian and when I came to college I realized I suffered from the alcohol flush. After like one shot of tequila I turn red. It really kinda sucks when your underage. |
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