After a night of heavy drinking, you wake up with a pounding headache, nausea, and fatigue. Someone suggests having a Bloody Mary or mimosa to “cure” your hangover. But does this “hair of the dog” approach actually work, or are you just postponing the inevitable?
The practice of drinking alcohol to relieve hangover symptoms has been around for centuries, but science tells a more complicated story about its effectiveness and safety.
Understanding the Hair of the Dog Concept
The phrase “hair of the dog” comes from the longer expression “hair of the dog that bit you,” which dates back to ancient times when people believed that the cause of an ailment could also provide its cure.
In modern context, this remedy involves consuming small amounts of alcohol the morning after drinking to alleviate hangover symptoms such as headaches, nausea, tremors, and general discomfort.
Surprisingly, this practice is more common than you might think. Studies indicate that approximately 11% of social drinkers have used this method at least once in the past year to combat hangover effects.
The Science Behind Why It Seems to Work
While “hair of the dog” is not medically recommended, there are several scientific explanations for why it might provide temporary symptom relief:
Temporary Blood Alcohol Elevation
Hangover symptoms typically peak when your blood alcohol concentration returns to zero. When you drink alcohol again, you temporarily raise your blood alcohol level, which can mask or delay hangover symptoms.
However, this is merely postponing the problem. Once you stop drinking and your blood alcohol level drops back to zero, the hangover symptoms will return—often with greater intensity.
Endorphin Release
Alcohol consumption triggers the release of endorphins, your body’s natural feel-good chemicals. This temporary endorphin boost can create pleasurable sensations that mask uncomfortable hangover symptoms.
The problem is that when alcohol leaves your system, endorphin levels crash, potentially making you feel worse than before. This cycle of endorphin surges and drops also contributes to alcohol’s addictive properties.
Methanol Metabolism Interference
Many alcoholic beverages contain small amounts of congeners—chemical compounds produced during fermentation. One notable congener is methanol, found in wine, beer, and certain spirits.
Your body metabolizes methanol into toxic substances called formaldehyde and formic acid, which contribute to hangover severity. When you consume more alcohol (ethanol), it competes with methanol for the same metabolic pathway, allowing methanol to be excreted from your body rather than converted into these toxic compounds.
While this mechanism has some scientific basis, it doesn’t eliminate the hangover—it merely delays the metabolic process and adds more alcohol that will eventually need to be processed.
Why Hair of the Dog Is Not Recommended
Despite the temporary relief it may provide, drinking more alcohol to cure a hangover comes with significant risks and drawbacks:
Prolonged and Worsened Hangovers
Research demonstrates that hangovers tend to become more severe over time during periods of continuous heavy drinking. By using alcohol to treat a hangover, you’re essentially extending the drinking episode, which can lead to an even worse hangover when you finally stop.
Risk of Alcohol Dependency
Regularly using alcohol to relieve hangover symptoms can establish a dangerous pattern that may lead to alcohol abuse or dependency. This practice normalizes drinking at unusual times (such as in the morning) and creates a cycle where alcohol becomes the solution to alcohol-related problems.
Health professionals strongly advise against this approach due to its potential to promote unhealthy drinking behaviors and increase the risk of developing alcohol use disorder.
Masking Underlying Issues
Using alcohol to suppress hangover symptoms prevents your body from fully recovering and may mask signs that you’re drinking too much or too frequently. This can delay recognition of problematic drinking patterns.
Which Alcoholic Beverages Cause Worse Hangovers?
Not all alcoholic drinks are created equal when it comes to hangover severity. The type and quality of alcohol can significantly impact how you feel the next day.
Congener Content Matters
Darker alcoholic beverages like whiskey, bourbon, brandy, and red wine contain higher levels of congeners compared to clear spirits. These compounds intensify hangover symptoms.
Vodka, being highly distilled, contains the lowest congener levels and tends to produce less severe hangovers compared to darker liquors when consumed in equal amounts.
Mixing Alcohol with Other Substances
Combining alcohol with energy drinks may increase both alcohol consumption and hangover severity. The caffeine and other stimulants in energy drinks can mask alcohol’s sedative effects, leading people to drink more than they normally would.
That said, the total amount of alcohol consumed remains the single most important factor in determining hangover severity—far more influential than the type of drink.
Effective Strategies for Preventing and Treating Hangovers
Instead of reaching for more alcohol, try these evidence-based approaches to prevent or reduce hangover symptoms:
Prevention Strategies
Practice Moderation: The most reliable way to avoid hangovers is to drink responsibly. Health guidelines suggest limiting intake to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.
Pace Your Drinking: Your liver can only metabolize approximately one standard drink per hour. Drinking faster than this rate leads to alcohol accumulation in your bloodstream, increasing intoxication and hangover risk.
Eat Before and During Drinking: Food in your stomach slows alcohol absorption, helping you maintain better control over your blood alcohol level and reducing hangover likelihood.
Stay Hydrated: Alcohol has diuretic properties that promote fluid loss. Alternating alcoholic drinks with water and drinking plenty of water before bed can help prevent dehydration-related hangover symptoms.
Choose Your Drinks Wisely: Opt for clear spirits over dark liquors when possible, and avoid mixing alcohol with energy drinks or excessive amounts of carbonated beverages.
Treatment Approaches
Get Adequate Sleep: Research shows that sleeping at least seven to eight hours after drinking is associated with reduced hangover severity. Sleep gives your body time to metabolize alcohol and begin recovery.
Eat a Nutritious Breakfast: Consuming a balanced meal can help stabilize blood sugar levels, which often drop after drinking. This may alleviate symptoms like headaches, shakiness, and nausea.
Rehydrate Properly: Drink plenty of water or beverages containing electrolytes, especially if you experienced vomiting or diarrhea. Electrolyte solutions can help restore balance to your system.
Consider Anti-Inflammatory Options: Inflammation plays a role in hangover symptoms. Some people find relief with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain relievers, though you should consult with a healthcare provider about appropriate options for your situation.
Replenish Nutrients: Alcohol metabolism depletes various vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, zinc, and selenium. Eating nutrient-rich foods or considering supplementation may support recovery, though more research is needed in this area.
Give Your Body Time: Ultimately, the only true cure for a hangover is time. Most hangover symptoms resolve within 24 hours as your body completes alcohol metabolism and repairs the damage.
When to Seek Medical Help
While most hangovers are unpleasant but harmless, certain symptoms warrant medical attention:
- Severe or persistent vomiting that prevents keeping down fluids
- Confusion or difficulty staying conscious
- Seizures or irregular heartbeat
- Difficulty breathing or very slow breathing
- Severe abdominal or chest pain
- Signs of alcohol poisoning
Additionally, if you find yourself regularly experiencing severe hangovers or feel the need to drink alcohol to function in the morning, it’s important to speak with a healthcare professional about your drinking patterns.
Understanding Your Relationship with Alcohol
The frequency and severity of your hangovers can provide insight into your drinking habits. If you’re experiencing hangovers regularly or feeling compelled to use the “hair of the dog” method, it may be time to reassess your alcohol consumption.
Consider keeping a drinking diary to track how much and how often you drink, as well as how it affects your daily life, work, relationships, and health. This awareness can help you make informed decisions about your alcohol use.
Remember that reducing alcohol consumption or abstaining entirely are valid choices that can significantly improve your overall health, sleep quality, mental clarity, and well-being.
The Bottom Line
While the “hair of the dog” remedy may provide temporary relief from hangover symptoms by temporarily raising blood alcohol levels and triggering endorphin release, it does not cure a hangover—it merely delays it.
More importantly, this practice carries serious risks, including worsening hangovers and potentially contributing to problematic drinking patterns and alcohol dependency. Health experts strongly advise against using this method.
The most effective approach to hangovers is prevention through moderate drinking, staying hydrated, eating food while drinking, and getting adequate rest. If you do experience a hangover, focus on rehydration, nutrition, rest, and giving your body time to recover naturally.
If you find yourself frequently dealing with severe hangovers or struggling to control your alcohol consumption, don’t hesitate to reach out to a healthcare provider for guidance and support.
Sources:
- National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) – PubMed Central
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Alcohol and Public Health
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Dietary Guidelines
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
⚕️ Medical Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet, taking supplements, or starting any health regimen. Individual results may vary.