Looking at the Effects of Cannabis on the Skin and Complexion
If you use marijuana regularly, you may have noticed unfavorable changes to your skin. In turn, you may wonder if there is a correlation between marijuana use and skin-related concerns like acne breakouts. While smoking marijuana is not necessarily a direct cause of acne, a lot of people do notice that smoking weed changes their skin.
Like other substances, marijuana affects the body and can change some of the ways it functions. However, we rarely see information or discussions regarding the impacts of marijuana on the body because it’s largely seen as harmless. Some people who have been through cannabis addiction may know of the possible consequences of using the drug, but the general public doesn’t often have all of the information they need.
So, does smoking weed cause acne breakouts? Let’s discuss the connection between smoking marijuana and acne development, including the possible causes of new or worsening acne symptoms and how they’re linked to smoking marijuana.
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Does Smoking Weed Cause Acne Breakouts?
Does smoking weed cause acne breakouts? The bottom line is that smoking marijuana can have a negative impact on your skin, even if it isn’t a direct cause.
Instead, it’s largely factors like exposure to smoke of any kind, if that’s the way that you consume marijuana, poor self-care habits, or changes in the body that may emerge when you use drugs like marijuana that can harm the appearance and health of your skin.
5 Common Ways Marijuana Can Affect Skin Health
If you suspect that marijuana is affecting your skin in some capacity but don’t fully understand why, it can be helpful to look at the scientific evidence. Here are some of the reasons you might notice unfavorable effects on your skin if you engage in regular cannabis use.
1) Marijuana May Affect Hormone Levels
Smoking weed can interfere with the body’s hormone levels. Smoking weed affects your endocrine system and hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a part of the brain that produces hormones controlling body temperature, mood, heart rate, sleep, thirst, hunger, and sex drive. Although it’s limited, there is some research on the effects of marijuana on cortisol levels.
We also know that smoking weed can impact hormones like testosterone. Hormonal changes, including changes in testosterone levels, can affect the appearance of your skin. Hormone changes linked to testosterone levels can increase the side of your sebaceous glands, which produce oil and may result in clogged pores.
Hormonal changes occurring during puberty often lead to initial acne development, whereas younger children don’t often face acne. When you consider the effects that smoking weed can have on hormones, it makes a lot of sense that it can worsen acne.
2) Fatigue After You Smoke Weed
Although a lot of people turn to marijuana for stress relief, the fatigue it causes could result in poor skincare habits. If you smoke or take edibles and get too tired to take care of your skin (or other aspects of well-being), it can lead to breakouts.
Similarly, while weed can make you feel sleepy, some research suggests that marijuana users can be more likely to experience sleep problems. Whether or not it means that marijuana users are more likely to have an underlying issue like insomnia or it is cannabis use itself, weed doesn’t treat the underlying cause, and sleep is important for skin health.
3) Sleep Habits and Skin Health
Disrupted sleep patterns and lower-quality sleep linked to marijuana use can worsen acne. You might notice other effects, like looking tired or faster aging of the skin when you do not sleep enough. On the other hand, sleeping too much or on a pillowcase that is not washed frequently can also increase acne-associated bacteria.
4) The Physical Effects of Smoke on Skin Health
If you’re someone who smokes weed rather than consuming the drug in other ways — such as in the form of marijuana edibles — it is critical to understand the effects smoke itself can have on your health in terms of skin inflammation. Smoking is never good for your skin health.
Whether you inhale tobacco or cannabis smoke, it can irritate your skin, exacerbating acne or other skin problems. Additionally, smoking weed can affect heart and lung health, even though it is not tobacco. In fact, daily cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of stroke and heart attack.
5) Dietary Changes and Marijuana
According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, or AAD, diet can have an impact on acne. Many people experience increased appetite and junk food cravings (“munchies”) after smoking cannabis. You may notice skin changes as a result of eating an unbalanced diet with disproportionate amounts of unhealthy foods, sugary foods, or refined carbohydrates.
Unlike the effects of smoking weed related to smoke inhalation or exposure (rather than the substance itself), challenges related to sleep, diet, and mood can occur no matter how you consume marijuana. So, while eating edibles instead might help you avoid the adverse effects of smoking, it may not necessarily help you avoid all of the possible skin and health-related impacts of marijuana.
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Other Factors Contributing to Acne
Acne is considered one of the most common skin conditions in the United States. Although it can be painful and sometimes might make you feel self-conscious, acne itself is nothing to be ashamed of. Other factors that can contribute to acne include but aren’t limited to:
- Eating foods that trigger breakouts: Marijuana can lead to increased appetite and cravings for things like sugary foods. Some people are particularly sensitive to certain foods or notice changes to their skin when they eat specific food items.
- High stress levels: Although stress, like weed, doesn’t cause acne directly, it can certainly worsen it. A lot of people notice acne breakouts or other adverse reactions when their stress levels are high. Hormonal imbalances, whether due to stress or otherwise, can exacerbate such issues even further.
- Personal hygiene: The definition of acne is “a skin condition caused by hair follicles clogged by oil and dead skin cells.” Taking good care of your skin is important for many people who want to beat acne. Some people will experience acne even if they have excellent personal hygiene, as the main cause can differ from person to person.
- Family history: Although some self-care factors, like choosing to smoke weed, not taking off makeup or caring for your skin, and poor sleep, affect your skin, pores, and how prone you are to acne, there is a major genetic factor.
Although it makes sense to want clear and healthy skin, marijuana smokers might also be at risk of a number of other effects. Developing a Cannabis Use Disorder or Marijuana Use Disorder, other new or worsening mental health concerns, and physical health issues unrelated to skin are other factors to consider.
Understanding Marijuana and Its Effects
Marijuana is derived from the cannabis sativa plant. Cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are the two primary components of marijuana. THC is known for causing the psychoactive effects associated with marijuana. In other words, THC is the psychoactive element in cannabis that makes you feel “high.”
Common psychoactive effects associated with THC include but aren’t limited to relaxation and sedation. Some people can experience uncomfortable effects, especially if THC is used in high doses such as hallucinations.
Anxiety is another possible effect and is a more common negative reaction. If you’re someone who experiences effects like increased anxiety when you use marijuana, it’s also worth noting that anxiety can place stress on the body, which could impact skin health.
Why Can’t I Stop Smoking Marijuana?
Sometimes, people notice the negative effects of using marijuana but feel like they can’t stop. Worsened skin conditions, like acne, are just one possible example of how this can manifest. Being unable to stop or reduce marijuana use is a hallmark symptom of marijuana addiction.
A significant portion (about 10%) of those who engage in marijuana consumption will develop an addiction to marijuana, also known more formally as a cannabis use disorder. If you continue using marijuana despite negative consequences on your skin, overall health, interpersonal relationships, work and school performance, or other parts of life, addiction treatment can help.
Reach Out to Catalina for Help With Cannabis Use Today
At Catalina, our team understands that substance abuse comes in many forms and impacts us all differently. Although cannabis is a commonly used drug, like alcohol, it can lead to addiction and may cause serious problems in a person’s life. Our programs can help you stop using cannabis and avoid the negative effects of marijuana use.
We offer inpatient and outpatient treatment for all types and levels of addiction. To get in touch with Catalina Behavioral Health for treatment, call the admissions line on our website today.
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FAQs Regarding Marijuana and Skin Health
Is acne a sign of marijuana addiction?
While marijuana use can lead to addiction, acne is not an indicator of marijuana addiction. There are a range of risk factors for acne, such as family history. However, some people do experience an increase in acne when they smoke weed.
Can smoking weed make you look older?
Smoking marijuana may cause new acne breakouts or worsen existing acne, but it can also change your skin in other ways. Changes in collagen production are largely responsible for this. Collagen is a protein responsible for skin elasticity and strength, often associated with a youthful appearance. Smoking can reduce collagen production and may contribute to the loss of skin firmness or the development of wrinkles and fine lines.
References
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.687106/full
- https://rapm.bmj.com/content/47/2/100
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5660879/
- https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/smoking-cannabis-associated-increased-risk-heart-attack-stroke
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538131/
- https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne/causes/diet https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/acne