Drinking Mirror app shows how booze ravages your looks

If you're having trouble sticking to your January detox (or 'dryathlon', as everyone seems to be calling it now), this app might provide a little incentive. Called Drinking Mirror, it aims to show how you'll look in 10 years if you keep putting it away at your current rate, CNN reports.

It's part of the Scottish government's Drop a Glass Size campaign that "encourages women to think about the health effects of regularly drinking above the recommended alcohol guidelines." But I think we could all do with a bit of a sobering reminder every now and again, regardless of gender.

All you have to do is upload a straight-on photo of yourself, position it correctly, and enter how many glasses of wine you drink a week. (Wine is the only option at the moment, so bad luck, beer swillers.) Then hit the button for a terrifying look at what you could become, unless you take action now. Beware, select the 10 glasses plus option and you will scare yourself silly. Expect bloated cheeks, with a schnoz that looks like it'll honk if you squeeze it.

The app is only available for Android at the moment, though an iPhone version is on the way. And if you want to have a look at the web version, head here.

A spokesperson for the Drop a Glass Size Campaign said it was focusing on women to raise awareness. "In Scotland, we have a troubled relationship with alcohol," she said. "We're focussing on women to try a different approach."

So what are the guidelines? Women are advised not to exceed more than two to three drinks (a 175ml glass of 13 per cent wine), while men shouldn't go over three to four every day (equivalent to about a pint and a half of 4 per cent beer). And no, you can't store them all up and cash in on one night.

Have you tried the app? Do you use tech to improve your health? Let me know in the comments, or on Facebook.