The Science of... Breaking the Seal

Have you ever held in your pee when drinking so you don’t “break the seal” too early? If so, you’re not alone.

Whether delaying the breaking of the seal can reduce bathroom trips during a night out is, however, debated. Some sources dismiss it outright, branding it as a myth, while others acknowledge there is some truth to the claim.

We have taken a look at this mystery, so you can feel relieved once more.

According to the Urban Dictionary (where definitions are generated by users), “breaking the seal” is the perceived increased frequency of urination following the first urination of recently consumed alcohol… though they chose to word it slightly differently.

If you’ve read our previous blog post on The Science of… Being Drunk, you’ll know that the alcohol is absorbed by the body in the stomach and small intestines.

Unlike faeces, which is discarded immediately from the body, urine is made in the kidneys, where blood is filtered to remove urea, excess water, and other nasty chemicals. An effect of alcohol, alongside getting you drunk, is as a diuretic, a chemical which increases the amount of urine the kidneys are producing.

So, for every 100 ml of alcohol you drink, you might be making 160 ml of urine. The result of this… you need to pee more than usual.

As we discussed in a prior blog post, alcohol can have some weird effects once it’s in the body. Alongside its good friend caffeine, is known to irritate the bladder meaning that you might feel more desperate to go, and holding in pee might be more difficult.

While there’s no physiological seal that you’re breaking on your first trip to the toilet, the effect alcohol has on the body can certainly make it feel like the dam has burst.

So, what can you do if you don’t want to spend all evening in the queue for the loo?

Well, the best, and most boring, option is to drink less – the adage of “what goes in must come out” stands strong.

It’s also generally advisable not to hold in your pee, lest you get a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), and to drink plenty of water alongside alcohol to ensure you’re not getting too dehydrated.

Thirsty for more science-meets-nightlife facts? Hit subscribe and get them straight to your inbox — no pee breaks required.

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Sources:

Brook, B. (2016). Why you can’t stop peeing after “breaking the seal” - and trick to holding on longer . news.com.au. URL https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/drink/is-it-true-that-once-you-go-to-loo-an-a-night-out-you-wont-be-able-to-stop-going/news-story/d443cc50f1a7be1502564bfcf9866642 (accessed 21/07/2025).

Cleveland Clinic (2024). Is ‘Breaking the Seal’ a Real Thing? . Cleveland Clinic. URL https://health.clevelandclinic.org/breaking-the-seal (accessed 21/07/2025).

Urban Dictionary: break the seal , n.d. . Urban Dictionary. URL https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=break+the+seal (accessed 21/07/2025).

Weiman, E., (2025). Why Does Alcohol Make You Pee More? Causes & Symptoms. Why Does Alcohol Make You Pee More? URL https://www.southjerseyrecovery.com/alcohol-abuse/why-does-alcohol-make-you-pee/ (accessed 21/07/2025).

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