- "Hair of the dog" is a popular phrase referring to drinking alcohol to cure a hangover.
- But it's alcohol that caused your hangover in the first place and drinking more won't help.
If you're dealing with a hangover you're probably desperate to find a cure for your pounding head and churning stomach.
One common, albeit counterintuitive, approach is to drink more alcohol. You may hear it referred to as the "hair of the dog."
This English expression originally referred to an old practice of treating a rabid dog bite by taking hair from the dog and placing it in the wound. Today, that logic semi-translates to the idea that introducing more alcohol to your bloodstream will somehow make you feel better from a hangover.
But does it actually work?
Before you spring for a mimosa or Bloody Mary, here's what you need to know about the hair of the dog method as well as some other hangover remedies.
Does hair of the dog help a hangover?
Hair of the dog might offer a little bit of temporary relief from a hangover –– but that doesn't mean it's a good idea.
"For people who drink occasionally, the use of alcohol to treat hangovers may mask some of the unpleasant symptoms, but it's only going to make the overall recovery from your night of drinking last longer," says Dr. Sarah Shafer, a medical toxicology specialist and an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.
Put simply, alcohol is horrible for you. "Your body feels bad after drinking alcohol because alcohol is a poison. Our bodies have evolved ways to metabolize alcohol so it's less harmful to our system, but it's not good for us, and a hangover is the result of that," Shafer says.
Drinking more after a night of drinking is essentially just doing even more harm to your body.
If you do try the "hair of the dog" approach, it will certainly not cure your hangover.
"It will just mask or delay symptoms –– and when those symptoms return, they could be even more severe," says Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, a family medicine doctor and the national medical director for One Medical.
Therefore, your best bet is to avoid drinking more the day after drinking so your body can start recovering ASAP and prevent more symptoms down the line.
Depending on how much and how often you drink, it's possible that you're having alcohol withdrawal versus a typical hangover.
"If someone feels significantly better after drinking some alcohol, then some of the symptoms they are experiencing may actually be alcohol withdrawal symptoms," Shafer says. In this case, it's important to consider whether there's an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.
How to treat a hangover
There are far better and healthier ways to deal with a hangover than adding more alcohol into the mix. Here are five doctor-recommended hangover remedies:
- Stay hydrated: "A night of heavy drinking can leave us quite dehydrated, so water is your best friend to help energize you and get rid of your headache," Bhuyan says. You may also opt for a drink with electrolytes and a bit of sugar. This may help you recover faster since alcohol can throw off your electrolytes and blood sugar levels, says Bhuyan.
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever: If you're dealing with the typical hangover headache, Shafer says you can take an OTC pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to reduce it.
- Stick to bland foods: If you are nauseous, stick to bland foods to help settle your stomach and prevent even more nausea. Bhuyan suggests the BRAT diet –– bananas, rice, apples, and toast –– to give you some energy without irritating your stomach further.
- Rest up: It's common to feel very tired after a night of drinking, since alcohol negatively affects your sleep quality. "You could sleep for a full 10 hours but your body may feel like it only received four. So if you are feeling exhausted, give yourself permission to hit the snooze button on your alarm and take it easy the rest of the day," Bhuyan says.
- Prevent the hangover in the first place: The most bearable hangover is one that doesn't happen at all. There are measures you can take to prevent getting hungover. Shafer says to avoid binge drinking and only drink in moderation at a moderate pace. Additionally, she recommends drinking a glass of water between each alcoholic beverage to stay hydrated. Drinking some extra water before you go to bed can help, too.
Insider's takeaway
While it can be tempting to reach for a morning-after drink to quell your hangover symptoms, doctors definitely don't recommend it.
Bottome line: hair of the dog doesn't work. If anything it'll makes things worse.
The potential small bit of relief you might get is short-lived and will only ultimately prolong your hangover.
That's why it's best to opt for other simple hangover remedies, like staying hydrated and taking a pain reliever, to feel better faster.