A couple vodka tonics, a bright pink Cosmopolitan and more glasses of wine than you can count might seem like a good idea at the time but, as we all know, you’ll pay for it the next morning. If you’ve woken up with a never-drinking-ever-again hangover, here are some tips and tricks to help your recovery!
Bloodshot Eyes
Every wonder why, after a night of drinking, you wake up with eyes like Cheech and Chong? Alcohol causes the tiny blood vessels in your eyes to become dilated and inflamed, giving you that red-eyed look. To soothe bloodshot eyes and shrink blood vessels, hold a chilled, damp facecloth to your eyes for 10 to 20 minutes. Next, try a couple drops of Visine. If you typically wear contacts, stick with glasses for the day as contacts can irritate your eyes even further.
Dark, Under-Eye Circles
If you didn’t stumble home until the crack of dawn, you’re probably going to wake up with some not-so-cute bags under your eyes To reduce puffiness and discoloration, try laying two cool, damp tea bags or cucumber slices over your eyes for 10 to 15 minutes. Although you’ll want to lay down for this, keep your head propped up with a couple pillows to prevent more fluid from gathering under the eyes. Another remedy that is supposed to work wonders is hemorrhoid cream. Smooth a bit under each eye to eliminate swelling.
Pimples
Waking up with raccoon eyes and smeared lipstick after a night on the town is never fun. Waking up with a nasty pimple is even worse. The first step to tackling a morning-after pimple is removing last night’s slept-in make-up. Next, cleanse thoroughly and moisturize. To help get rid of redness and swelling, take two Advil and apply a bit of blemish treatment such as Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment.
Dull, Dry Skin
Even if you do manage to get your make-up off before clambering into bed, you can still wake up to dry, lifeless skin. Having a few too many cocktails can block the production of an anti-diuretic hormone, allowing your skin to become dehydrated. To help rehydrate the next morning, drink plenty of water and indulge in a generous amount of moisturizer. For a hang-over spa treatment, boil a pot of water and add a teaspoon of chamomile, rosemary or lavender. Position your cleansed, exfoliated face several increases above the pot and cover your head with a towel. The warm steam will open up your pores and bring life back to your skin.
Damaged Hair
If getting glammed-up for your sister’s tequila-filled bachelorette party required half a can of hairspray and two hours with a curling iron, chances are you’re going to wake up with some pretty extreme bed head. Drinking, as well, can cause brittle hair and split ends. For some intensive hair therapy, apply a leave-in conditioner such as Aveda Damage Repair, focusing on the tips and roots. If you don’t happen to have a leave-in conditioner, try olive oil. This at-home hair remedy helps restore moisture and shine. After about 20 to 30 minutes, rinse the conditioner or olive oil from your hair with cool water.
