Coffee, caffeine, cafe, black man, man, grooming, skincare Man drinking coffee at a café. Image: Unsplash
Think twice before you have that second or third cup of coffee.
A nice, hot cup of coffee is a morning staple for many. Its cultural impact is so great in our lives that we often feel like we can’t function without it.
And while a small amount of caffeine is rather harmless, it’s a well-known fact that downing mug after mug of coffee can have adverse effects on your sleep patterns and mental health, leading to restlessness, anxiety, and dizzying spells.
What you may not know, however, is that excessive caffeine consumption can also damage your hair and skin. Just as it dehydrates your body, coffee can dehydrate your skin and give it a dull appearance. As for your hair, it can cause it to fall out and stunt its growth.
If your work desk is known for being a coffee cup crime scene, here are a few things that might change your mind about your pick-me-up beverage.
We spoke to Dr. Debeshi Bhattacharjee, clinical cosmetologist and the Head and Founder of Lueur Aesthetics, to find out about the ill effects of excessive caffeine on your skin and hair. Don’t worry, we also asked her about the acceptable amount of daily coffee intake to maintain healthy hair and skin.
GQ: What role does a diet play when it comes to skincare and haircare?
Dr. Debeshi Bhattacharjee: Whatever happens on the inside shows on the outside. A well-balanced diet is not only important for your health but also for the vitality of your skin and the strength of your hair. An improper diet can cause many deficiencies impacting your hair and skin.
GQ: What are some of the negative consequences of too much caffeine on the skin? What are the skin issues one can face because of it?
Dr. Debeshi Bhattacharjee: Caffeine is a diuretic, so it dries out your skin. Drinking too much coffee can make your skin look dull and trigger acne. Caffeine actually makes you feel alert and awake, leading to a heightened stress response in the body. Stress hormones such as cortisol produced by your sebaceous glands make it more prone to breakouts. You should also stay away from coffee ingredients like sugar and milk during acne breakout phases.
GQ: What negative effects does excessive caffeine consumption have on the health of hair? Does it have any positive effects as well?
Dr. Debeshi Bhattacharjee: Consuming too much caffeine can stunt the growth of hair during the growth cycle, which means your hair may not regrow quickly. It can also cause hair loss. However, recent studies have suggested that consuming a small amount of caffeine can encourage hair growth. Lots of tropical products contain caffeine as an ingredient for this reason.
GQ: What is the amount of coffee/caffeine one should not exceed in a day to maintain healthy hair and skin?
Dr. Debeshi Bhattacharjee: My recommendation will be to go for green tea instead of coffee. However, if you must consume coffee, make sure you set the limit of your intake at 100mg -200mg.
[Via GQ India]