Did you know that around 240 million people are dependent on alcohol and more than 15 million people use injection drugs? If you have recently been dealing with drug addiction and you have noticed that it has taken a toll on your skin and you don’t know what to do, you are in the right place.
We are going to share a few tips below to help you heal damaged skin during drug addiction recovery.
Drink Plenty of Water
Many times drug abuse and addiction lead to dry skin. Going through any type of drug addiction recovery or medical detox will also lead to dealing with skin dryness. The reason is that the body is depleted from natural moisture.
Drinking plenty of water will help restore the skin to its normal moisture levels. If you are not a huge water drinker you can squeeze some fresh lemon slices in your water to help with the taste, or you can drink fresh papaya or strawberry juice. Natural fruit juices that are high in Vitamin C will help restore your skin moisture.
Staying hydrated will plump up any wrinkles and give you a smoother appearance.
Hygiene
When you are working on restoring your skin after drug addiction you want to maintain proper hygiene to make sure you do not have dirt or sweat buildup. Many times when someone is abusing drugs they neglect their bodies which in turn impacts the skin negatively.
Taking a shower at least twice per day and applying fresh oils or moisturizers will help keep the skin clear. Do not forget to change clothing and wear clean clothes every day.
Rest Up
Getting enough rest will help rejuvenate the skin because it will enhance the circulation of collagen and increase the production of it as well.
Drug addictions lead to sleep deprivation which leads to saggy and dry skin. It’s important to sleep for at least 6 to 8 hours every night in order to help repair your skin after dealing with sleep loss.
Nutrition
Addicts put a lot of strain on their liver with consistent drug or alcohol abuse. This leads to reduced digestion and absorption of necessary nutrients in your body. This lack of absorption ends up leading to vitamin deficiency which affects the skin.
Your diet will play an important role when you are recovering. Take notes of what you eat and make sure to increase your Vitamin A, B1, B3, and B6 intake. Add more milk, beans, fish, and leafy greens to your diet.
Adding minerals like zinc and magnesium will also nourish your skin and help bring it back to life. Because you are going through recovery, adding more fiber and decreasing your sugar intake will help eliminate toxins as well as get rid of extra yeast in your body.
Herbs
Something else that will help alleviate your skin issues are different herbs. You can use calendula to help soothe any redness and irritation in the skin. Calendula has anti-inflammatory properties that help the skin. It also has natural antimicrobial properties that help clear up breakouts.
Another helpful herb is milk thistle to help support the liver which is responsible for filtering toxins out of the body. If you are dealing with unsightly skin conditions then, milk thistle will increase liver health, in turn, ceasing the flow of toxins in the skin’s surface.
Lavender is another herb that naturally calms the body. Every organ in the body is put through stress when going through addictions and this includes the skin. Lavender essential oils can help alleviate the tension. You can either add it to a diffuser and use it as aromatherapy or apply it to the skin but make sure to dilute it with coconut oil or something similar to avoid a skin rash or reaction.
Dandelion is a great herb to detoxify the body and to use as a blood tonic. It purifies the blood of toxins and allows blood filled with nutrients to flow to the skin’s surface. This gives the skin the opportunity to heal.
If you are dealing with any acne or breakouts you can use witch hazel to soothe your skin. Aloe vera gel will help your skin if it is flaky and dry.
Antibacterial Products
Sometimes drug addicts deal with blisters, sores, and skin infections. If these are not treated they tend to get worst instead of going away on their own. The best way to help manage this is through hygiene and anti-itch medications.
Use soothing skin ointments and antihistamines to help reduce the sensation to scratch and pick at any scabs. If you have any rashes that are infected use warm water and antibacterial soaps to clean them and then apply ointments with antibacterial properties to help the infection go away.
If you notice that your infections are not getting any better after consistent clearing and treating, then make sure to see a doctor. A doctor might prescribe antibiotics to help your body fight the infection. The last thing you want to deal with is an infection in the bloodstream.
Ready to Heal Your Damaged Skin?
Now that you know more about how to help your damaged skin after recovering from drug addiction you can start taking action to help your skin. The skin is the largest organ in your body that you can actually see and touch, therefore you want to show it some love.
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