zjw

I got my first tattoos ever after i got sober go figure. Maybe it was like man i went through that getting sober war i dont give a crap what people think if i get a tattoo now been through hell and back dont care now lol. Like you think a tattoo is bad? haha try getting sober!!

I also started to care about my appearance a little bit more. I wills till wear stained shorts and walk around dirty at times because the nature of what i do leaves me that way often. But I'm not nearly the filthy mess I once was. I used to go weeks without batheing and such. And I think I might still do that now but I really love a nice shower after i go running so it keeps me clean and presentable lol.

I slimmed down and all that as well too. complexion looks better etc...

aasharon90

I love tattoos, especially if they are
in good taste. To me it's a way to express
one's self thru bright colorful art.

Sure getting tattoo'd is painful, esp.
when outlining. After they are done
coloring in, you have a picture to enjoy
for the rest of your life.

My birds, flowers, butterflies &
recovery tats are an expression of
who I am and don't mind wearing
it on skin.

Bird615

In the nearly 3 years I've been sober this time around, I've lost 20 pounds, reduced my eye makeup to just mascara most days when I'm out in public and buzz-cut all my hair off about a year and a half ago. That was something I just wanted to experience and it felt so freeing. After that I let the top grow out with a fade on the sides for a while and am now going to try grow it back and if I don't like that, I'll cut it all off again. If I do manage to grow it out, maybe I'll dye it a fun colour like purple or blue.

It was such a relief to quit trying to be someone I'm not and start to find out what I really like.

MindfulMan

Lost 50 pounds. Whole new wardrobe with a lot more thought into it. Grew a beard. Weight training muscles. Dating.

I ran into someone I haven't seen in a year and who isn't on Facebook. They didn't recognize me.

steve-in-kville

Oh can I relate! We saw some of my wife's distant family that lived out of state, haven't seen them in well over a year. Apparently my dry wit/twisted humor has kicked up a few notch or two plus my hair is longer and curly. People were asking my wife if everything was okay with me!

Yeah. Never better.

boreas

My appearance at quit: Excema+allergies+chardonnay=dry hair, red, blotchy skin. At 45, I took stock and decided my way forward. No more hair dye, chemical treatments to rehab the straw on my head. Cut it to a new, healthy style. Weight loss yes, but also daily yoga to fight the “bat wings” and the general slide of everything southward. While I’ve never been too much for makeup, I did invest in some real skin care and started addressing all of the sun damage, etc. from a life working outside.

Basically, I decided to make the most of my appearance at the age I’m at. No more trying to look like I did in my 20’s or 30’s. There’s plenty of grey in my now-healthy hair, and so be it. It’s been a great experience to embrace who I am, and for someone as self conscious as me, it is wonderful to feel ever more comfortable in my own healthy, aging skin.

-bora

steve-in-kville

I really appreciate that statement.... I see too many mother's in their 40' and 50's that tried look/dress like their teenage daughters. Wearing skinny jeans (when they don't have the figure for it), dying hair (they look like a mannequin), etc.

I'm 40 and graying. My wife says my hair is thinning, too, but I think she's imagining it. Just sayin'.

I am a living testimony that alcohol robs us of the ability to be ourselves... to live true to ourselves. Too many years have been wasted "pretending" that we forget who we really are and fail to have a happy and confident life.

(Sorry - got preachy there. Too much coffee so far this morning)

Outonthetiles

Yes, I adopted the clean shaven look. Scruffy beard is gone.

JimiC

Funny, I went with neatly trimmed scruff lol.

Stayingsassy

I was obsessed with my appearance while drinking, I was 20 pounds thinner while drinking so I did love clothes. I used to highlight my hair, buy lingerie, spend a long time blowing out and curling my hair with the iron. I loved taking pictures of myself.

I have put on 20 pounds in sobriety. Haven't had my hair done in a year, stopped buying clothes and also havent wanted to be in pictures. I look and feel older. I do still exercise three times a week and every morning, I put makeup on because it's too depressing not to! I tend to get this way in sobriety. I fought it pretty hard this time but it still happened. I think it's partly because I stopped going out, but also just not caring, I think.

I eat a lot more sugar when I quit drinking alcohol, so that makes me gain weight pretty rapidly. I've been trying to beat back the weight gain as much as possible because the last time I got sober I gained 40 and I could see it coming again, but because I fought pretty hard this time I only put on 20.

This is how you know I'm fighting for my life. Sobriety has never been easy for me, I've been trying to be happy in sobriety for the past 10 years. I have been relapsing for ten years. It finally got to the point where I knew I'd die if I continued drinking, so no matter how difficult i knew it would be I had to do it. I would rather have a hard time than be dead by my own hand. I am a mom. I can do hard things for my kids.

MissPerfumado

I stopped wearing high heels. I began running more and my feet now can't bear to be in heels.

I wear my hair out a lot more. I used to constantly tie it up in a ponytail or bun.

I dress a lot more simply and naturally, all in all.

plop

I got my first tattoos after I got sober, and my hair and my beard look scruffier than before. Still not looking like a pillar of society I'm afraid.

But I've lost quite a bit of weight. However, it would have been too expensive to buy several new pairs of pants, so I had a seamstress adjust all my old pants. So I still wear my old clothes, I just look fitter.

Bunny211

Yes. I had no sense of self while I was drinking. I look back at what I wore- I wore what everyone else wore to fit in. Now I look and feel better than I did 10 years ago and I have my own sense of style. I got an edgy, fun haircut too when I hit 18 mos sober. I have short hair now for the first time in my life! The thirties is my decade. And I am rocking it!

tomsteve

I mean, intentional changes in hair style, clothing, etc?

where i used to shower when i felt and would wear the same clothes for a couple days, i started showering regularly and wearing clean clothes every day. same old tattered blue jeans and t shirts, and 20 year old cowboy boots,but they were clean.
my hairstyle changed, but not by choice. started getting balder, which could have been happening before but i didnt notice.
other than that, kinda hard to have anything other than curly hair when ya have curly hair.
other than long curly or short curly.

Lautca

Ha! This one begs the obvious!

Sorry, I'm playing Devil's advocate here, but I look twenty years older because by being sober I got to be twenty years older!

Other than that, no I really didn't change much about my appearance. I did put on a little weight because I also quit using nicotine the same day I quit drinking.

One cannot tell from my name "Lautca" what gender I am, but I am a guy and not as much concerned about my appearance as many women. However, I've seen skid row inhabitants who a bit resemble the character described in Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" who after getting sober like to dress pretty sharp.

Lautca

BDTL

I started working on my weight last November when I weighed in at 226. Now I weigh 210 and plan to lose 10 more by July 4th. I shaved my goatee off and cut my hair short. My wife says I look 10 years younger. I work out at the gym 4 days per week and play golf 3 days.

HopeandFaith1

I've gone from 194 lbs to 138 lbs since I quit drinking. I used to dress extremely self consciously and had a hard time leaving the house due to my bloated, red faced, red eyed appearance, in addition to feeling miserable. Now I wear what I want, I am a lot more toned in some places due to more activity. I don't have to fuss over my appearance nearly as much and I get to have fun with it. It is a very pleasant benefit to quitting in addition to multitudes of internal ones