How to Look Good Even If You Have the Worst Hangover

POPSUGAR Photography | THEM TOO
POPSUGAR Photography | THEM TOO

Seeing stars this morning? We hate to break it to you, but it's probably not leftover fireworks — you've got a serious hangover. In addition to that pounding headache, your skin is paying the price, as alcohol can be superdehydrating. Plus, it's harder to sleep when you're buzzed, so your under-eye area may be dark and puffy. We tapped celebrity dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer to help break down the problems and offer tips on how to look better.

The issue: "It doesn't matter what you are drinking, all forms of alcohol are dehydrating," said Dr. Lancer. "It's just a matter of how quickly it dehydrates you, which is usually a matter of how much sugar is in the drink." And if you think that the more expensive the red wine you're enjoying, the lesser the likelihood of it affecting you, think again. "Two-Buck Chuck is equally as dehydrating," Dr. Lancer warns.

How booze messes with your skin: "The dermis gets dehydrated, the subcutaneous fat under the skin gets dried up, and the skin loses some of its bounce," explains Dr. Lancer. In turn, this causes the skin to appear more sallow and lose its radiance.

What to do about it: Drink up—water, that is. "You have to try to pee out all of the toxins," says Dr. Lancer. He also recommends getting into a warm bath laced with a bit of olive oil to encourage the skin to rehydrate. You can even apply the olive oil to the face and scalp as an extra treatment, rinsing it out with a gentle, nonsoap cleanser (such as Cetaphil) after about an hour or two. Be sure to increase your protein intake, too. He quips, "Chicken soup would be a good thing."