When the capillaries on the surface of the nose break they can then appear purple. While alcohol may not be a cause of drinker’s nose, drinking alcohol can still affect your appearance. Primarily, alcohol is a diuretic that dehydrates the entire body, including the face. Therefore, by stripping the face’s skin of moisture, alcohol contributes to the appearance of wrinkles and saggy, dry skin.
What is Rhinophyma?
Blood vessels expand and sometimes break, making some heavy drinkers look red and flushed even when sober. Excessive consumption of alcohol may also lead to the development of spider veins on the face. He has a nursing and business/technology degrees from The Johns Hopkins University.
What Are the Origins of Drinkers Nose?
Once the nose has significantly enlarged, there are a few ways to normalise the appearance. Excess skin can be removed with surgical excision, electrocautery (electrically heated needle), or laser. There are a number of creams and tablets available to treat rosacea. Ivermectin cream (a cream for mites) specifically targets the demodex and is often very useful in this type of Rosacea. Antibiotics from the local doctor can help and in resistant cases there are dermatologist restricted retinoids (like Vitamin A) available. Cortisone creams are best avoided as these can worsen the condition and even in some people cause a rosacea-type of rash.
- A “drinker’s nose” is actually a condition called rhinophyma, a side effect of rosacea.
- While the underlying causes aren’t fully understood, early treatment is considered the most effective solution.
- Although alcohol use does not cause rhinophyma or rosacea, it can aggravate the condition.
Our Alcohol Addiction Treatment Centers
This is a skin disorder called rhinophyma, which is a side effect of another type of skin condition called rosacea. The most common and effective treatment for rhinophyma is surgery. Surgical treatment can remove tissue overgrowth, reshape disfigured noses, and minimize the appearance of enlarged blood vessels. It may be completed with a scalpel, laser resurfacing, dermabrasion, or via cryosurgery.
With surgical treatments, care must be taken to avoid disturbing cartilage while leaving enough skin to ensure proper healing with minimal scarring. Out of these options, carbon dioxide laser surgery is considered the preferred option because it allows for the most precise removal of excess tissue. Still, many doctors may recommend a multi-solution approach that combines options such as carbon dioxide lasers with dermabrasion to better remove damaged tissue. If caught in the early stages, however, symptoms can often be managed with medication and lifestyle changes. Join 40,000+ People Who Receive Our Newsletter Get valuable resources on addiction, recovery, wellness, and our treatments delivered directly to your inbox.
Treatments for ‘Alcoholic Nose’
Over time, the number of sebaceous glands and the changes in connective tissue increase, which can result in progressive deformity. Finally, acne rosacea advances to late-stage rosacea, and rhinophyma is an aspect of this. According to older research, cited in a 2023 article, rhinophyma begins as “pre-rosacea,” and the only symptom at this stage is facial flushing. Due to the higher prevalence in males, scientists suspect that male hormones increase the risk. When you call our team, you will speak to a Recovery Advocate who will answer any questions and perform a pre-assessment to determine your eligibility for treatment.
Sometimes, this can include relying on ablative lasers or electrical currents (a treatment known as diathermy) to help remove excess tissue. Even a single alcoholic drink can cause flare-ups for many people with this condition. A survey by the National Rosacea Society found that red wine was the most common culprit, followed by white wine and beer.
This can lead to further mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety, as well as an overall loss of pleasure in life. In rare instances, a doctor may perform a biopsy to test the rhinophyma, but this is typically only done in cases of rhinophyma that have not responded to treatments. This is because alcohol is what is known as a vasodilator, which means it causes blood vessels to expand and blood to flow to the surface of the skin. This is especially true and noticeable for the skin on a person’s face. Several surgical techniques have been described in the management of rhinophyma.
Similarly, this removes the stereotype that everyone who suffers from rhinophyma is an alcoholic. There are many common misconceptions when it comes to rhinophyma. Of course, there are many snap judgments that people make when they see the physical effects of rhinophyma in person, especially in extreme cases. No, rhinophyma is not reversible once it progresses to its hypertrophic and bulbous stages. At this point, surgical intervention is typically necessary to correct the deformity.
It is more common in men than women and typically affects people of Caucasian descent. For these reasons, alcohol can aggravate symptoms of rosacea to a much more noticeable extent. Moreover, certain types of alcohol, like red wine, are more likely to trigger rosacea than others. Red, ruddy facial features and a bloated face are often evident with alcoholism. The belly will often be distended and much heftier than the arms or legs, which will stick out like little stick figure limbs. This is part of our series on hidden or stigmatised health conditions in men.