Alcoholic Nose: Symptoms, Causes, And Treatments

Sometimes, this can include relying on ablative lasers or electrical currents (a treatment known as diathermy) to help remove excess tissue. Alcohol affects your face and skin in general by enlarging both pores and blood vessels. Blood vessels expand and sometimes break, making some heavy drinkers look red and flushed even when sober.

More on Skin Problems and Treatments

Extreme disfigurement of the nose can narrow the airways in the nose, making it difficult to breathe. The nose may also take on a purple-like hue in these severe rhinophyma cases. Our addiction specialists are equipped to answer whatever questions you might have about the rehab process. The main goal is to facilitate recovery and a better life for anybody who asks for help.

Misconceptions About Alcoholic Nose

• Someone with alcoholism does not necessarily need to have rosacea to be an alcoholic.
• While drinking may not cause “alcoholic nose,” getting help to quit drinking can make the condition much easier to manage.
• In more severe cases, the nose and cheeks can take on a purple hue and start to become severely disfigured as they become more bulbous.
• You may have a reddish color to your skin, spidery red or purple veins across your nose, and a swollen nose that does not improve over time.
• But there is hope for full recovery from long-term alcohol abuse by receiving quality help from an alcohol treatment facility.
• There is a range of treatments to choose from, such as long-term recovery plans, inpatient or outpatient treatment, 12-step programs, aftercare, and more.

Contrary to the stereotype that rhinophyma is caused by alcohol or alcoholism, rosacea is actually the cause of rhinophyma. Now, more studies have shown that alcoholism is not necessarily the cause of rhinophyma. People can experience rhinophyma without being alcoholics or even drinking much alcohol. This stereotype can put some of those who experience drinkers nose rhinophyma in an embarrassing spot.

Non-Alcoholic Rosacea Triggers

While drinking may not cause “alcoholic nose,” getting help to quit drinking can make the condition much easier to manage. 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. Rosacea is a chronic skin condition and disorder that causes the skin to appear different in texture, pigment, and size than normal skin. Understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatments of alcoholic nose can empower you to take control of your skin health and seek the appropriate care.

• Rosacea is a common skin condition that usually manifests itself as splotches of red skin, usually across the face and nose.
• That means someone drinking heavily may show flushed cheeks and an enlarged nose with a red or purple tint if they have rosacea.
• They may be afraid they will feel shamed by other people’s judgments of alcohol abuse.
• This chronic but treatable condition causes broken blood vessels on or near the nose, giving the red, bumpy appearance linked with an alcoholic nose.
• In extreme cases, the nose can become quite disfigured and make breathing difficult.
• To understand how rosacea can lead to rhinophyma, it’s important to understand what rosacea is, its symptoms, and how it develops.

Identifying Alcohol Misuse

If you think you may have rhinophyma, it’s important to see a doctor or dermatologist for diagnosis and treatment. You may have a reddish color to your skin, spidery red or purple veins across your nose, and a swollen nose that does not improve over time. The helpline at AddictionResource.net is available 24/7 to discuss the treatment needs of yourself or a loved one. This helpline is answered by Treatment X LLC, an addiction treatment provider with treatment facilities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California. If you or a loved one are looking for substance abuse treatment, help is available. However, these treatment methods have not been effective for reducing swelling or the appearance of bumps on the nose from rhinophyma.

The term “alcoholic nose” has an interesting history and an even more interesting scientific explanation. “Alcoholic nose,” or drinker’s nose, is a skin condition commonly identified by a red, bumpy, or swollen appearance of the nose and cheeks. It’s hard to say when exactly this condition became linked with heavy alcohol use, but stereotypes in popular media have kept this connection alive. This chronic but treatable condition causes broken blood vessels on or near the nose, giving the red, bumpy appearance linked with an alcoholic nose. If preventative techniques don’t work and you develop this skin condition, surgery is the most common method of treatment. Some acne medications may also reduce many of the symptoms of rhinophyma.

Rhinophyma FAQs

However, it’s always important to keep in mind that rhinophyma ultimately manifests itself as a side effect of rosacea. People can experience rhinophyma without drinking alcohol or very occasionally drinking it. These enlarged blood vessels can give your skin a spidery, bloodshot appearance, and increase flushing around the face and chest. Widened blood vessels mean that more blood can travel just below the skin’s surface, which causes flushing or a reddened appearance. Early stages of rhinophyma will present more moderate skin redness and inflammation. Though, as the condition progresses, skin irritation will increase, and if untreated by antibiotics, thick scar tissue may form.