It can be pretty obvious that someone takes drugs just by looking at their face. Here is what hard drugs can do to your physical appearance.
Drugs have way more consequences than they do “benefits.”
There’s always a cost that comes with shooting up, snorting, or smoking a drug. More often than not, a drug addict and their loved ones have to deal with multiple negative effects of drug use.
Drugs change the way a person thinks and behaves; they ruin relationships and leave scars on a person’s heart that take a very long time to heal. Drugs also leave noticeable scars on a person’s body and change their physical appearance as a whole, particularly in their face.
Here are 3 of the most common ways that facial attributes change from drug use.
1. Acne Breakouts and Scarring
Hard drugs can create a constant cycle of acne breakouts and scarring on a person’s face. Things like steroids, meth, and heroin and other opioids cause breakouts. Inspire Malibu says this can occur with people who use prescription drugs, too.
Once a breakout appears, an addict starts to pick at their face. This leaves acne scars that stay on the skin long after a breakout is gone. When certain drugs are used, a person may feel a tingling sensation or see things that aren’t there – like crawling bugs. This causes them to pick and scar even more.
If you see this kind of change in physical appearance in someone you love, the best thing to do is get them help.
2. Red Eyes and an Irritated Nose
Although acne and acne scarring affect the whole face, there are smaller changes in physical attributes to be aware of.
If you’re thinking about doing cocaine, take a second to imagine what your eyes would look like if they were always bloodshot. If it’s not you who’s using drugs but you think it’s someone you know, take a close look at their nose the next time you see them. Drugs that have to be snorted cause frequent nosebleeds and an inflammation of the nose in general.
3. Flushed, Tired Skin
The final sign of a drug addict face is the change in the color of their skin. No matter how pale or dark their skin is normally, a person’s skin color starts to look washed out when they do drugs.
They will seem permanently tired. Their eyes may droop and there could be small wrinkles that start to appear on their face, no matter what age the person actually is. It’s a hard thing to recognize in a loved one. But, it is a sure-fire sign that they need professional help to recover from addiction and improve their life as a whole.
How to Regain a Healthy Physical Appearance
Although drug abuse definitely takes a toll on a person’s physical appearance, the changes don’t have to be permanent. Recovery can help heal a loved one’s addiction from the inside out.
It shows them why the use of drugs just isn’t worth engaging in and how to overcome the “need” to do drugs. It gives them the tools needed to feel and to look like themselves again.
If you’re looking for healthy habits to support someone in this process, click here!
