Expert explains whether ‘hair of the dog’ hangover cure actually works

There are many hangover cures known to man and one of the most popular of them all is the 'hair of the dog'.

To be clear, this doesn't mean you should be trying to cure a hangover with actual dog hair, that would be insane.

The phrase originates from a suggested cure for the bite of a rabid dog, with the idea being that if you placed hair of the dog that bit you into the wound it should work.

It didn't because the idea that you could cure rabies with a bit of dog hair is even more insane than trying to use it to cure a hangover.

There is no effective cure for rabies once it's taken hold, so if you fear you have it, you need to seek medical assistance lickety-split.

Anyway, back on the subject of hangover cures, 'hair of the dog' means getting the treatment from the same place that caused your ailment, which in this case means drinking alcohol to banish the consequences of drinking alcohol.

You know what she needs? Definitely not more alcohol. (Getty Stock Photo)

Some people really swear by this method, but medical expert Dr Sarah Shafer told Business Insider that it's not going to work properly.

She explained that getting back on the booze to banish a hangover 'may mask some of the unpleasant symptoms', but would ultimately make your recovery even longer.

"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." she said.

What you should be doing is staying away from the booze the day after you've been out drinking.

Imbibing alcohol on a hangover is just all round a bad idea, instead you ought to be seeking rest and rehydration to speed you on the path to recovery.

You also don't want to turn what feels like a bad hangover into a case of alcohol poisoning either - as the answer to feeling bad after drinking is not more drinking.

Fans of the classic TV show Brainiac might remember they once did this experiment themselves.

It might make you feel better in the short term but you'll be feeling the effects for even longer afterwards. (Getty Stock Photo)

They got a bunch of people quite considerably drunk and then got them to score their hangovers the next morning.

One group was given the sort of remedies you'd buy over a counter, so that's sports drinks and paracetamol to numb the pain and restore some electrolytes - whatever those are.

The next group was served up a full English breakfast, while group number three got the 'hair of the dog' treatment and were able to start drinking again.

Brainiac explained that getting back on the booze switched your body back onto dealing with the easier bits of alcohol and could make you feel better as a result.

However, when the results came in 'hair of the dog' came back as the worst performing hangover cure, with participants feeling only slightly better two hours later while the fried breakfast group and the energy drink squad were feeling significantly improved.

Plus, Dr Shafer said that those who feel 'significantly better' after drinking again 'may actually be alcohol withdrawal symptoms' - so perhaps it's time to look at your relationship with alcohol if that's the case.