The 4 Worst Drugs for Your Face
via http://dirty-mag.com/faces of meth
For this post, we’ll focus on the four main “food groups” of drugs: Meth, heroin, alcohol, and cocaine. All drugs will take their toll on your pretty little visage but, here for practical purposes are the 4 worst drugs for your face.
#1. Methamphetamine, aka Crystal Meth
First and foremost, you need to understand that abusing meth renders your body unable to repair itself and therefore causes the destruction of tissues and blood vessels. Characteristics of faces of meth are acne, sores from picking (which also take longer to heal), lackluster skin, and accelerated aging – meth reduces your skin’s elasticity, making you look years and even decades older than you actually are.
And let’s not forget the infamous “meth mouth.” Due to a meth abuser’s poor nutrition and typical lack of personal hygiene, as well as the tendency to gnash and grind their teeth (from meth’s effects), tooth decay and loss of teeth is highly common. This is because meth also causes the salivary glands to dry out – saliva being a built-in defense to cavities and other oral ailments – which allows the mouth’s acids to eat away at the tooth enamel, causing cavities.
“Meth mouth,” then, is characterized by broken, discolored and rotting teeth. And this is an understatement.
#2. Alcohol
It’s pretty well-known that alcohol dehydrates your body, in general but, think about your skin – your body’s largest – and most visible organ. And this happens every time you drink. So, someone who abuses alcohol is slowly (or not-so-slowly) drying out their body and skin. Alcohol is also thought to deprive the skin of vital vitamins and nutrients.
Long-term drinking causes something called rosacea, a skin disorder that starts with a tendency to blush and flush easily and can eventually lead to permanent facial disfigurement. Alcohol can also cause your face to look bloated and puffy and can cause the nose to become bulbous. And then there’s the cellulite. Although not typically affecting the face, it’s noteworthy to mention this because it tends to be a concern for women – many believe the toxins in alcohol contribute to the build-up of cellulite.
#3. Heroin
You appear very skinny and unhealthy, unkempt and less hygienic. Heroin ages you big time due to rapid weight loss, sagging skin, and loss of healthy fats. Your face loses the radiance you once had due to dryness and lack of nutrition and personal hygiene.
Using heroin will cause you to have cool, moist and pale skin and telltale dark circles under your eyes. Heroin can lower your blood pressure and heart rate which will result in improper blood supply, leading to your skin and nails having a bluish tint. Overall, not a healthy look.
Many heroin users also scratch and pick at their skin, because opiates tend to cause you to itch. This can lead to acne, open sores, and scarring. Lovely.
#4. Cocaine
Cocaine can affect your face in several ways. First off, if you snort or sniff coke, it will cause a loss of blood supply to the septum, (the thin dividing wall between your nostrils). This leads to erosion and damage to the nose’s structure. Basically, your nose will collapse.
Some cocaine users experience “cocaine bugs” – a sensation of bugs biting, burning or itching their skin which, in turn causes them to scratch and pick at their skin until it bleeds. Because of this, some coke users’ faces have sores, scratches, and scars, like with the other drugs mentioned above.
Lastly, prolonged cocaine use will leave you emaciated-looking and your skin pale in complexion. You might have a sunken in-looking face or something called “coke bloat,” an unhealthy puffiness to your face.
If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-777-9588.
Sources:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meth/body/#2