Rhinophyma: Causes, Risk Factors, and Symptoms

Dermatology experts recommend anti-acne treatments, moisturizing your dry skin caused by rosacea, and using sunscreen lotions. Each individual is sensitive to alcohol in different ways, so everyone who has rosacea may not see a flare-up after drinking. If you or a loved one is suffering from a drug or alcohol addiction, please contact us today. Cirque Lodge offers a combination of experiential, behavioral, and group therapies to provide a holistic and enriching treatment experience. However, it is known that specific triggers can cause rosacea flare-ups and worsen symptoms.

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 rhinophyma in an embarrassing spot. From your initial assessment to discharge planning, our compassionate care staff will be there for you. Our care specialists are ready to assist with acute mental health crises and co-occurring mental health disorders. After treatment, we will work with you to ensure a smooth transition to less intensive, supplementary levels of care. A flare-up of rosacea symptoms can be triggered by the consumption of many different foods and drinks, including alcohol. As discussed above, rosacea can be a main contributing factor to redness and flushing of the cheeks.

Is Severity of Red Nose Linked to Alcohol Intake?

However, alcohol and caffeine can both temporarily dilate blood vessels, which seems to worsen rhinophyma. Whether a person is dealing with rhinophyma or alcoholism, it should not be acceptable to alienate a person or group of people due to a disease. There are several million individuals who attempt to manage their addiction every day, and less than eight percent actually seek treatment. Even though research is debunking the connection between alcoholism and rhinophyma, there is still a stigma attached to this disorder. It can be difficult for people with rhinophyma to go out in public due to the judgment they receive from others based on the appearance of their nose. But alcohol is among the scores of different triggers that can prompt or aggravate rosacea flare-ups in some patients.

Many people will have seen a middle-aged or elderly man with an abnormally big red nose, whether it’s in real life or in classical paintings. Most think of it as synonymous with alcoholism, however it’s a real condition not caused by alcohol. To many people, rosacea may look like an acne outbreak, natural coloring on the cheeks, or general hyperpigmentation. The condition tends to affect light-skinned middle-aged women more often, but anybody of any age and skin tone can have why are alcoholics noses red rosacea. Currently, there is no cure for rosacea, but there are some options available to manage and reduce the symptoms. That this skin condition may also make blood vessels visible in the face. Because for so many years people have assumed a connection between alcoholism and rhinophyma, a stigma has formed around the idea of an alcoholic nose. AddictionResource.net is a referral service that provides information about addiction treatment practitioners and facilities.

Other physical symptoms of alcoholism

Usually, rhinophyma involves reddening of the nose and a noticeably bulbous nose, which means that the nose becomes enlarged, more pronounced, and rounder. When choosing an alcohol addiction treatment center, it’s important to choose one that understands the disease of addiction and the best ways to help promote strong, lasting change. With centers all around Oregon, Serenity Lane makes your physical and mental health our No. 1 priority. “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. When diagnosed with rhinophyma, it’s important to follow up with your doctor.

This often looks like some exaggerated patches of red on the face with thin spidery lines along the cheeks and other parts of the face, which are the visible blood vessels. Some people can also experience small scatterings of red bumps that can be filled with pus and the skin could feel warm or mildly irritated. Alcohol use can worsen a red nose, also known as rhinophyma, but doesn’t cause it to occur. Some people become red-faced or flushed when they drink alcohol, and this is determined by ethnic background and genetics. All of these skin conditions may occur without any history of alcohol abuse.

With long-term alcohol misuse, these blotches can start to turn purple since the blood vessels eventually start to break. Once the nose is completely numb the laser is employed to vaporise the unwanted tissue. The nose then takes two weeks or so to grow the surface skin back in place and heal. The condition will only come back if the rosacea is not controlled. Once the nose has significantly enlarged, there are a few ways to normalise the appearance. Excess skin can be removed with surgical excision, electrocautery , or laser.

As friends and family members to those with substance use disorders, we can learn about the warning signs of addiction, talk more openly about topics of addiction, and offer support. If a person has rhinophyma, that is no indication as to whether they drink or abuse alcohol. Alcohol abuse can cause red flushness in the face similar to the symptoms of rhinophyma, leading to confusion between the two. If you feel that any of our contact information to a specific treatment center is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please contact at

Serenity Lane Provides Compassionate Addiction Treatment for Alcohol in the Pacific Northwest

One way to help people seek the treatment they need and help them live out healthier and better futures is to provide people with the whole story and clear information. If you’re concerned that you or someone you know is drinking too much alcohol, Georgetown Behavioral Hospital near Cincinnati, Ohio can help. Our accredited mental health facility offers numerous therapeutic methods in an inpatient setting to address mental illness and substance abuse. While some people may experience flushing or redness when they consume alcohol, this doesn’t mean those people all suffer from rhinophyma. Wrong assumptions based on similar traits, such as flushed skin after drinking, have led to misinformation about the true causes of the condition. Enlarged blood vessels and tissue overgrowth can cause disfigurement. Jaundice – Also a common by-product of liver disease, jaundice is characterized by yellowing of the skin and sclera of the eye.

Individuals with this condition are at risk for skin cancer within the affected tissue. The most common type of skin cancer in these cases is basal cell carcinoma. Some experts argue that rhinophyma is actually a precancerous skin condition. Not only is his reddish and bulbous nose a telltale sign of severe rosacea left untreated, but it has become synonymous with alcohol abuse.

If you’re seeking treatment for rhinophyma, it is better to seek treatment sooner rather than later. Take the first step toward addiction treatment by contacting us today. If you or a loved one are in search of treatment services for alcohol use disorder, help is available. This is a stigma, however, that those who struggle with substance abuse regularly face. The most noticeable symptom of rhinophyma is swelling and redness of the nose and face. If a person has an existing rhinophyma condition, alcohol may aggravate it. Alcohol acts as a vasodilator, something that opens up the blood vessels. This allows blood to travel more easily through the vessels, causing a flushed look in the face.

When a person is concerned they may have rhinophyma, or any other form of rosacea, a doctor can usually diagnose this condition by observing the patient’s face. Rhinophyma is not directly caused by alcoholism or regular alcohol consumption. “The authors proposed that this connection between alcohol intake and rhinophyma may be because alcohol is such a strong inducer of flushing and vasodilation,” Dr. Baldwin said. The researchers theorized that genetic predisposition is likely a critical factor for developing rhinophyma, since alcohol consumption alone is not sufficient to cause the condition.

Patients with psoriasis and high alcohol intake are also more likely to suffer from depression. Small numbers of spider telangiectases are seen in healthy children and adults. They are more common in women, Sober House especially during pregnancy, as they are influenced by the female hormone, oestrogen. You may have narrow nasal passages for several reasons, including genetics, aging, injury, or a medical condition.

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. Although the classic ‘drinker’s nose’ was thought to be related to excess alcohol consumption, it has never been proven. In a case-control study of 175 people with rosacea and 145 people with normal skin, there was no significant difference in alcohol consumption between the two groups. Earlier stages of rosacea can be confused with acne and other skin conditions. Later, this condition advances to vascular rosacea, which involves swollen blood vessels and redness. It later progresses to acne rosacea and causes inflammatory breakouts. Some people believe that alcohol consumption may lead to the condition, but studies do not support this link.