At first, the topic of this post might seem shallow, but I think it will still be useful. The topic? Personal appearance. More specially, the fact that abusing drugs and alcohol can damage a person’s appearance.
Yes, that is somewhat shallow. But like it or not, society does pay a lot of attention to people’s personal appearances. I’m sure Americans spend billions of dollars each year on clothes, hair treatments and products, makeup, and cosmetic procedures. We spend countless hours altering our appearances. Why undo all this time and money by abusing substances?
We’ve all seen celebrities who have abused drugs and alcohol and how this abuse has ravaged their looks. We may have even seen the effects of alcohol and drugs on people we know personally. My opinion is that we’re all going to get older and sicker one day anyway, so why accelerate that with substance use disorder?
Do you think I’m exaggerating? Sadly, I’m not. Too much alcohol and illicit drugs can play havoc with our health. They can also play havoc with our looks, since it could lead to
- broken capillaries.
- a red complexion.
- skin dehydration.
- a bloated, puffy appearance.
- a red complexion.
- duller eyes.
- flare-ups of a skin condition called rosacea, which could cause red skin and even a bulbous nose.
Drug addiction can also harm our personal appearances. Just a few physical side effects include
- severe weight loss.
- dental problems.
- bloodshot, unfocused, or dilated eyes.
- track marks (from needle-based drugs like heroin), burns, or other damage to the skin.
Of course, people in the throes of alcohol and drug addiction care more about drugs or alcohol than anything else. They don’t care about their personal appearances, or they’re using the time and money they’d be devoting to hygiene to their drug habits.
Effective substance use disorder treatment helps restore people’s health and their relationships. It can also help restore their looks.
