The damage caused by substance abuse is becoming increasingly difficult to camouflage. You may see the signs within yourself; you can see the signs in someone you care for. The mirror rarely lies. Your reflection in the mirror will eventually reveal the burden you try so hard to hide.
Drug abuse damages the skin
For those who are relatively healthy, skin changes are often the first recognizable indicator of substance use and abuse. This could explain why dermatologists are often the first medical professionals to recognize the early signs of a substance use disorder.
For better or worse, your skin is a reflection of what’s going on in your body. The chemicals fueling your addiction will impair your skin’s ability to repair and heal. The effects are cumulative. While chemical abuse can cause your skin to take on a dull, unhealthy hue, certain types of chemicals are known to cause specific skin problems. Some of the most common skin problems are:
• Infections
• To swear
• Vascular damage
• Sores in the mouth
• Flushing of the skin
• Hyperpigmentation
• Outbreaks
Speeding up the aging process with stimulants
If you indulge in some kind of stimulant, you may be accelerating the aging process. Your heart beats faster and your body has to work harder to meet the increased demands. Under the influence of stimulants, your body produces the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol breaks down the collagen and elastin in your skin.
Collagen is the supporting structure in your skin. Elastin keeps your skin supple. When a body is under the stress of chemical dependence, the loss of collagen and elastin will result in droopy cheeks, droopy eyelids, loose skin, wrinkles and deeper folds around your nose and mouth. In fact, abuse of stimulants can make you look decades older. When you combine the effects of collagen loss with the potential weight loss and malnutrition associated with stimulant abuse, the acceleration of skin aging is even more pronounced
The scars and scabs of methamphetamine use
The chemical imbalances and dehydration caused by drug use, especially methamphetamine, can lead to uncomfortable and distressing sensations on your skin. You may feel insects crawling on your skin and under the surface. The sensations can be maddening. You can react by scratching or picking at your skin. Irritation leads to more scratching and picking. Repeated skin irritation and skin injuries lead to sores that heal slowly or not at all. This cycle will scar your skin.
Sores that heal slowly, blisters, scabs, and scars are some of the more recognizable skin problems associated with methamphetamine use. These sores are commonly referred to as meth sores or meth mites and are most common on your face and arms.
Since methamphetamine also disrupts blood flow, meth sores can appear anywhere on your body. Methamphetamines destroy blood vessels, interfere with your body’s ability to repair cellular damage, and can also cause leathery skin.
The enlarged, protruding, or damaged veins from intravenous drug use
Many IV drugs are vasodilators that can also cause vasospasm. That means IV drugs cause your blood vessels to expand, but then quickly contract. Vasospasm disrupts your circulation, resulting in pain, swelling, skin ulcers, skin infections, and blood clots.
About 88 percent of intravenous drug users will also develop chronic venous insufficiency. Venous insufficiency means that the valves in your veins that keep your blood flowing to your heart don’t close properly. Leaky valves allow blood to flow back into the veins. This results in enlarged veins that can bulge and twist, called varicose veins.
Severe venous insufficiency can also lead to skin ulcers that are difficult to heal due to the decrease in circulation. This skin on your lower legs can discolor and take on a rough, scaly appearance. This is more than a cosmetic problem. Vein damage increases your risk of deep vein thrombosis (blood clots) and increases your risk of developing a life-threatening pulmonary embolism (a blood clot that travels to the lungs).
Cellulite as a result of skin eruption
While most microorganisms that live on your skin are harmless, they can have devastating consequences when they enter your body through an injection site. When veins become damaged from drug use, some IV drug users resort to popping the skin, injecting drugs below the surface of the skin. Skin popping is linked to an increased risk of cellulitis, a rash-like skin infection caused by staph or strep bacteria. Although this form of bacterial infection is not contagious, it forms a tender, hot, red swollen rash that spreads quickly.
Cellulite requires immediate medical attention. If left untreated, this infection can enter your bloodstream and lymphatic system. Cellulitis can cause chronic swelling of the infected limb, or worse. Although rare, cellulite can destroy soft tissues, requiring surgery to remove the damage.
Staph infections and fungal infections due to immune system dysfunction
Substance abuse disorders disrupt your immune system. They make it difficult for your body to fight off infections, which can result in an increase in infections that your once-healthy immune system could have eliminated before it could cause problems. You may be prone to staph and fungal infections, especially on your feet, where fungus thrives in the moist environment. If you are prone to psoriasis or eczema, your flare-ups may become more frequent and increasingly difficult to control.
Surface indications of alcohol abuse
Flushing of the skin can be an indication of alcohol abuse. Alcohol is a blood vessel dilator. Alcohol breaks down into acetaldehyde, which can cause a release of histamine, which can also happen during an allergic event.
With long-term alcohol abuse, you may also notice an increase in varicose veins, small, broken capillaries close to the skin’s surface. Varicose veins are often most noticeable on your face, neck, chest, arms, hands, and abdomen. Especially in people with liver damage.
The damage to your liver caused by alcohol addiction can also cause jaundice, the yellowing of your skin and eyes. This discoloration is an indication that you have an excessive amount of bilirubin in your system. Your liver normally breaks down bilirubin, but its function is impaired by alcohol. When jaundice caused by the alcohol-related liver disease is treated at an early stage, it can be improved.
Increased severity of pimples and acne
Due to the increased amount of cortisol produced under stress; you may also notice that your skin reflects the internal struggle by breaking out. Cortisol increases inflammation; acne is your skin’s response to the inflammation that cortisol causes. Acne can also be aggravated by the habits associated with using meth and the simple fact that addiction can cause you to overlook your basic skin care needs.
Drug and alcohol abuse can cause inflammation, malnutrition and dehydration. It weakens your immune system and damages blood vessels. Addiction negatively affects your body’s ability to heal. Your skin reflects the damage, while your brain, bones and internal organs continue to pay the price.
Restoring your appearance can be motivation enough to get or keep you on the right path to a drug-free lifestyle. Maybe not. But if you overcome your addiction, you will see the signs of your progress. Rest assured that the improved health of your skin is a visible indication of the inner healing.
Beyond Needle Marks – How Substance Abuse Affects Skin
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