Woman who ‘abused alcohol’ for seven years shares insane facial transformation after going sober
Warning: This article contains discussion of alcoholism and suicide which some readers may find distressing.
A woman has shown off how different her face looks after going without alcohol for 17 months.
Heather Corrine Land, 33, 'used to cry' over the thought of never being able to drink again but has now been completely sober for over 21 months.
Land, from Arizona in the US, suffers from chronic illness and autoimmune deficiencies and even had to take a significant chunk of time off work to help recover during the nadir of her health.
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Alongside her struggles, Land says she abused alcohol for seven years, even describing herself as an 'everyday drinker.'
Things got so bad that she admits that there were times she didn't think she would reach her 33rd birthday and said she was 'depressed.'
Yet, in early 2025, she managed to turn her whole life around and has maintained her sobriety streak ever since.
Land says the lifestyle shift has changed her for the better in several different ways, but on a post back in April she pointed out the transformation her face has gone through.
Sharing selfies on Instagram from back when she was a heavy drinker, she says her face used to be 'swollen, red and dehydrated' and had 'deep wrinkles.'
"Alcohol is a histamine," she wrote. "It will inflame you and slowly ruin you from the inside out.
"No amount of healthy eating or 'anti-inflammatory' products will combat alcohol abuse.. trust me, I tried everything while in active addiction."
Land then shared a video showing off her face after months of sobriety, which was noticeably less swollen, less red and more toned.
Land's sobriety journey
Land says she relied on alcohol to help 'numb' her pain and 'cope with life' yet, when she drank, it only led to anger coming to the surface and to confrontations.
She admitted in a recent Facebook post that she became ashamed of the alcohol abuse she allowed her children to see.
She wrote: "I ruined some magical moments. I missed out on some really important ones.
"That’s something I have to live with and my kids will unfortunately have those memories too."
Now she's absolutely determined to ensure she never breaks her sobriety for her children.
"If I ever went back to drinking, I would break their hearts," she added.
"I will never allow myself to ruin another birthday, another Christmas, Thanksgiving, new year, or practice ever again."
"It’s my job to be self aware… to remain sober and to make better choices for my kids."
She now shares content on social media promoting sobriety and encouraging anyone else struggling with alcohol to seek help.
How does alcohol cause a 'puffy' face
While alcohol abuse may be more associated with abrasive behaviour and serious health issues like liver disease, high blood pressure and various cancers, it can have a significant impact on someone's appearance, too.
Especially the face.
Primrose Lodge, a rehabilitation centre in the UK, lists a puffy face, dark circles under the eyes, eye discolouration, broken blood vessels and a red face as visible signs someone may be drinking too much.
They say that puffy face, the most common sign of an 'alcoholic face', is caused as excessive alcohol consumption leads to the body retaining water to combat dehydration.
As a result, this leads to swelling and puffiness all over the body, including the face.
Additionally, if the liver is damaged by too much alcohol, it will be less efficient in removing toxins from the body, leading to a further build-up of waste products which can also cause swelling.
Please drink responsibly. If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.
Daniel Murphy