If you’ve ever met friends or colleagues out for drinks during the week, chances are you’ve overdone it and woken up with a nasty hangover. There are things you can do to alleviate the feeling of internal death, but there are no surefire hangover cures (like hair of the dog) as of yet. The good news? There are a handful of things you can do to look less like death and hide your hangover symptoms to your coworkers the following day when you show up to work. The two most obvious being …
#1. Drink Water … Then Drink More Water
From the moment you stop drinking — or, ideally, while you’re drinking — you should chug water. “Alcohol is a diuretic, so it dehydrates your skin and body — one of the reasons for that pounding headache the morning after,” says New York City dermatologist Dennis Gross. “Dehydrated skin loses its plump, firm appearance so it appears more lined and waxy.” Above everything else, nothing battles the effects of alcohol like staying hydrated. So get a glass of water and get to work.
#2. Brush Your Teeth
Your disgusting dragon breath should tip you off that you need to drag a brush across your pearly yellows, but along with a morning brush, you should do it a few times throughout the day. Last night’s bender will linger on your breath because the alcohol is still in your stomach, so you need to brush your teeth every few hours.
Oh, and don’t forget to also brush your tongue, or its stench will let people know you had 18 whiskey cocktails the night before.
#3. Depuff Your Eyes
Boozing it up makes your eyes look suspiciously swollen. Drinking water and exercising help deflate them, but you may not have time to work out. Or, the very thought of working out may make you vomit. So try this instead:
- Step 1: Toss a couple of metal spoons in the freezer for a few minutes, then take them out and hold the rounded parts on puffy areas for about 10 minutes. While you’re waiting, sit quietly and reassess your recent life choices. It sounds cooky, but trust us, it’ll help.
- Step 2: Get blood flowing, which will deflate your creepy bug eyes. So pick up eye gel like Shiseido Eye Soother Gel for Men($33 @ Amazon.com). Store it in the fridge for an extra cooling effect. You should have plenty of room, as you are clearly out of beer.
#4. Get The Red Out
You can whiten those bloodshot eyes with a few drops of extra-duty eye drops like Rohto Redness Relief Arctic (7 @ Amazon.com), which not only reduce redness but also have a cooling effect that might help you feel slightly less like dying. Sadly, they can’t help to keep your eyes open. You’ll have to lean on espresso or meth for that — hopefully espresso.
#5. Get A Shave In
It’s even more important than usual to look presentable today, so you need to avoid looking like you just crawled out of bed. The best way to accomplish this? To not have just crawled out of bed.
That’s why shaving is a must even if it’s not something you do every day. A clean face will make you look more put together even when you’re not. And though you may not realize it, your sweat is probably 80-proof — and smells like it. So take a shower, shave, and leave the house smelling pleasant.
#6. Moisturize
Add a face moisturizer to enhance your skin’s healthy look. Try Riffect Skin Care For Men Facial Moisturizer ($35 @ Amazon.com) Using natural and organic ingredients like shea butter, jojoba oil, and aloe vera, splash some on your mug before you and your hangover greet the cruel, harsh world.
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