Introduction
When it comes to our well-being, drug abuse can be detrimental to almost all of our organs. For instance, it can decrease the efficiency of our liver, damage the kidneys, cause stomach pain, and increase toxins in our body.
However, that’s not where the effect of drug addiction ends, though. Aside from that, it also affects the largest organ of our body – the skin.
If you are attentive enough, you’ll be able to differentiate between the skin of a healthy human being and a drug addict. For the latter, it will look somewhat flaky and scaly. Besides, the issue of scarring will be pretty prominent on their skin too.
Hence, if you’re suffering from substance abuse, make sure to visit Ascendant today. The organization can help you get rid of your addictive persona through inpatient and outpatient procedures. Click here to gain more info on the best detox center in New Jersey!
Drugs And Skin Problems – Why Does It Happen?
Skin problems can be caused due to drug abuse for many reasons. Some of them occur naturally as a side-effect of substance usage, while the consumption of specific drugs causes the others. Please keep reading to find out more about it.
General Problems
The general problems caused by drug addiction may include –
- People, who’re addicted to drugs, tend to be much less concerned about their personal hygiene. Taking baths or showers regularly usually stays at the bottom of their to-do list. It, in turn, can make the harmful bacteria living on their skin remain active and cause rash, irritation, and other chronic skin ailments.
- After the consumption of any drug product, your body will start overheating. Thus, you’ll start sweating much more, even if you’re taking a short walk down the street. Guess what the sweat will be composed of? The toxic byproducts of the drugs you’ve been using. Thus, if you don’t take a bath quickly, it may cause rashes on your skin.
- The drugs, especially the illegal ones, generally work like toxic pollutants to your body. Therefore, if you’re taking them regularly, your skin will start losing its hydration level to some extent. This, in turn, can promote the aging of your skin, decrease its overall immunity power, and lead to flakiness, too.
- The lifestyle choices of a drug addict can be pretty harmful to their skin. For instance, substance abusers generally stay awake for weeks. It causes exhaustion in their body and leads to bags under the eyes. Many individuals also experience a massive headache that doesn’t get cured by taking medicine.
- People suffering from drug addiction can also lead to poor nutrition in their bodies. This, sequentially, prevents your skin from getting any vitamins or minerals and leads to the creation of cracks on it. If you use any makeup product or something as such on your skin, it will affect the organ even more.
Drug-Specific Problems
Aside from the general ones, some skin problems can also be caused due to the usage of some specific drugs. Here’s what you need to know about it.
- Meth: Consuming meth regularly can lead to the introduction of meth sores on your skin. In some cases, it may also lead to meth mites, which are usually caused by the hallucinations prompted by the drug. Finally, meth can also reduce the blood flow in your skin. The lack of oxygen can lead to wrinkles, skin aging, and other skin issues.
- Heroin: Like meth, heroin, too, dries out your skin to some extent. Nonetheless, that’s not where it ends, though. Heroin can cause abscesses on your skin, expose the same to bacteria, and lead to infections as well. Besides, using this drug regularly can also promote the development of rashes on your skin line.
- Cocaine: Unlike the previous ones, the effects of cocaine tend to be dependent more on how the drug is being administered. For example, if you’re taking it through an intravenous procedure, it’ll cause necrotic tissue. Besides, smoking cracks can lead to “crack hands,” where your palms and fingers get blackened due to extreme heat.
- Prescribed Stimulants: Whether you believe it or not, even prescription stimulants can affect your skin in several ways. For instance, Adderall can take away the moisture from your skin and make it dry. Angioedema is yet another condition that is caused by a doctor-provided stimulant as well.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
If you have read it until now, it’s probably become clear to you how drug abuse can lead to skin problems. Hence, in this section, we will try to keep the chit-chat to a minimum and answer your questions altogether. Hopefully, it will be helpful for you.
1. How Does Alcohol Affect Your Skin?
Alcohol abuse tends to be primarily responsible for dry and arid skin. However, in extreme cases, it can also cause premature aging and lowered immunity. If your drinking habit has affected your liver, it may lead to jaundice as well.
2. What Are The Five Effects Of Drug Use On Your Skin?
Abusing drugs can affect your skin pretty massively. Here are a few of the issues regarding the same that you should know about –
- Skin rash and irritation.
- Skin infection.
- Drug-induced acne.
- Angioedema (swelling of the mucous membranes and skin).
- Flaky or dry skin.
3. What Is Drug-Induced Acne?
Drug-induced acne is a prevalent skin condition that’s caused by continuous drug usage. Taking the drug orally, inhaling the same, or applying it topically can lead to this problem.
Keep Your Skin Healthy!
If you are taking drugs, the very first problem you’ll experience is dry skin.
Therefore, if you don’t want your issues to progress any further, you’ll have to take care of your skin from the beginning.
Yes, reducing your substance abuse will definitely help you out to some extent. However, aside from that, you will also need to eat foods that are good for dry skin.
Besides, drinking water (at least three to four liters) can also help you bring back the moisture on your skin. You may also consider talking with a dermatologist to improve your skin health even more.
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