How Addiction Shows in Appearance and Hygiene

No matter what the substance, addiction can take a drastic toll on your way of life. Not only can addiction ruin your relationships, it can also drastically damage your health and appearance. Addiction sometimes becomes all too visible. It shows in many ways. Many addictions do reach that point where feeding the habit takes priority over caring for oneself by the addict.

Here are a few ways that addiction can change how you appear and take care of yourself.


1. The skin.

Using substances can take a huge toll on how the skin appears. Factor in as well that with addicts, many people who are actively using may not be getting the full spectrum of nutrition that a wholesome diet would usually include (or they do not have much of an appetite and are not taking in as many nutrients and calories that they should a day). This can cause people to lose a great deal of weight, for their skin to appear sallow or thin, for protruding cheekbones, or just simply looking unhealthy due to malnutrition. Many addicts look older than their biological age, have wrinkles or deep folds in their skin, and display scars and marks more prominently.


2. Bad oral health.

Drug use can often show up very visibly in the mouth. A variety of dental and gum results can happen as a result of addiction, including teeth that are yellow or even decaying. A lack of dental care combined with an absence from the dentist means that addicts also often suffer from bad breath. Whether their self care has lapsed or they frequently smoke or just don't brush their teeth, people who abuse substances often display a less than pearly white smile and fresh minty breath.


3. Dirty or grungy clothing.

Sometimes a person who is an avid substance abuser can be wearing clothing that is shoddy or filthy. They may wear dirty layers of clothing and you can bet that doing their laundry is not high up enough on the priority list, as they have either not the time or motivation to do it or a lack of money because it's all going elsewhere. They also will frequently have a dirty or cluttered place of residence or smell bad because guess what, they haven't been showering because their hot water is off or they're drifting between different paces.


4. Their eyes.

The eyes can become overly dry, or yellowed, or even look strange, surrounded by under eye circle and bags or looking puffy. In fact, many people who abuse drugs really feel like the entire shape and look of their face is strange and unfamiliar to them. If your eyes become discolored or feel dry, consulting a medical professional may provide you with relief.


5. Greasy hair.
Hair can get pretty oily quickly, even after 24 hours. So when someone is more interested in doing drugs than showering, or has a resulting depression or energy affectation that is getting in the way of regular showers, or they're homeless, someone who's in the depths of addiction may have oily hair that seems like it could use a wash.


A disorganized and possibly unhygienic lifestyle quickly becomes normal to someone who is under the influence. If you want to overcome addiction and recognize these signs in yourself, help is a phone call away.