Myth Busted! 'Hair Of The Dog' Doesn't Cure Hangover, Instead Making It Worse

During a hangover, a classic reply would be having the "hair of the dog." Technically, this means taking another alcoholic drink to cure the after-effect of drinking. However, the classic which is rumored to be true has been discovered as nothing but only a rumor at all.

Moreover, the recommended "hair of the dog" has been found to be the worst way to treat hangover-related effects such as nausea, headache, fatigue, dry mouth, and body aches, as per Flask.com. In a new study, researchers claim that although the alcohol has the power to make the person feel better, it is only temporary. What more, the symptoms will become worse.

The belief came from the 16th century, where a dog bite would be cured by bleeding the wound out and putting some pieces of hair of the related dog directly to the injured part. Albeit it didn't work, this gave birth to the another belief which is to place the hair of the dog who bit the victim onto its bite. Meaning, what can cure the person is what made it sick in the first place, as Daily Mail Online reported.

"There's no scientific evidence that having an alcoholic drink will cure a hangover," Dr. Laura Veach, director of screening at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, said. "It will, at best, postpone one."

Although the causes of a hangover are still not clear, it may involve several factors such as glucose metabolism, dehydration, and alterations in the immune system. Drinking alcohol again may make the person feel better as the alcohol is being placed back in the system, however, it lasts only for a short time.

After masking the symptoms of a hangover, it will show up again. As per Dr. Veach, taking aspirin and having enough rest and rehydration are the top things to do after drinking. However, these things won't fix it immediately and the condition needs nothing but time. To know more about drinking, read here.