It is a combination of those with a family history of rosacea and those who struggle with skin conditions or certain skin disorders. An alcoholic nose or a “whiskey nose” is a slang term used to describe a red nose or bumpy nose considered to be caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Rosacea is not caused by alcoholism, but alcohol abuse can affect rosacea, which may worsen the appearance of a drinker’s nose. Surgical treatment can remove tissue overgrowth, reshape disfigured noses, and minimize the appearance of enlarged blood vessels.

How Is Alcoholic Nose Treated?

Rhinophyma develops over many years, making the nose appear tuberous or bulbous with red discoloration. The vessels on the nose enlarge, cysts and pustules may erupt, making the skin extra oily, and the tissues on the end of the nose appear as if they expand. It seems to involve a mix of problems with how blood vessels and nerves work, along with how the immune system responds naturally in the body. Your insurance plan may cover some or all of the cost of treatment for drug or alcohol addiction. Our online health insurance verification system will estimate your in-network and out-of-network deductibles, coinsurance percentages and out-of-pocket maximums. Within 5 minutes, you’ll receive an email with these details – free of charge.

But a 2015 study from the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine proved that there is no connection between alcohol abuse and rhinophyma or rosacea. This is a very common skin condition that tends to emerge for weeks or months at a time. Though the causes of rhinophyma are unknown, it’s thought to be a severe form of a skin disease called rosacea.

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, our expert team is here to guide you every step of the way. You, nor your loved one, are under any obligation to commit to a Treatment X treatment program when calling the helpline. If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please contact at

Still, many doctors may recommend a multi-solution approach that combines options such as carbon dioxide lasers with dermabrasion to better remove damaged tissue. Some people might be prescribed a low dose course of isotretinoin (Accutane) to help shrink enlarged oil glands that might also be contributing to skin thickening and symptoms. Topical retinoids might also be recommended for anyone who catches the condition in its early stages. At Georgetown Behavioral Hospital, you can take your addiction recovery journey one step at a time. During your time in our inpatient rehab setting, you will learn effective coping strategies to handle life’s daily stressors without using substances. Of course, due to the nature of addiction, this is often easier said than done.

Because rhinophyma often develops following a severe case of rosacea, it’s important to watch out for symptoms of this unique skin condition. Rhinophyma is the skin condition which causes a person’s nose to grow and become bulbous in appearance. If you’re looking for information about the condition known as alcoholic nose or drinker’s nose, here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. This common name and years of misinformation from the medical community about the condition prompted a false link between alcohol abuse and alcoholic nose.

Sign Up & Get Our FREE Recovery Guide

For those suffering from rosacea, it’s normal to feel self-conscious when experiencing pimples or redness of the nose. For many who have rosacea, oral antibiotics can be prescribed by your doctor. The medical term for this condition is actually known as rhinophyma, and there is no known link between alcohol and rhinophyma. Other physical effects of addiction are not visible but still dangerous. Excessive drinking can damage and disease the liver, heart, and other parts of the body and contribute to diseases such as diabetes and various types of cancer. Alcohol might contribute to rosacea and rhinophyma, but the substance doesn’t seem to cause the conditions in the first place.

How can you get rid of rhinophyma?

If you are experiencing negative emotions or having difficulty with vision, nasal obstruction, or sleep apnea due to rhinophyma, treatment can help significantly. Your primary doctor can help you or direct you to resources for medical, surgical, and emotional treatment as you heal. The signs of rhinophyma may begin to appear in adolescence or early adulthood. Rosacea often develops in the following stages, which increase in severity with age and continued aggravation. Surgical and drug-based treatments can help, but limited research suggests that the condition may recur after surgery. No, rhinophyma is not reversible once it progresses to its hypertrophic and bulbous stages.

1. Alcohol is a vasodilator, which means it increases blood flow to the skin’s surface, causing redness and inflammation.
2. Contact us to learn more about our detox and addiction treatment programs, how we can support the full range of issues you’re dealing with, our intake process, and more.
3. To give yourself the best chance of recovering and achieving long-term sobriety, consider seeking professional addiction treatment.
4. Basal cell carcinoma is a slow-growing type of skin cancer that is not typically fatal.
5. Fortunately, it is possible to manage symptoms of rhinophyma to lessen their impact on daily life.

Severe cases of rhinophyma can see an individual develop an extremely bulbous nose, so much that it appears to be quite disfigured. Systemic, medical treatment of rosacea is critical for achieving control over the condition and to keep it from worsening. Topical medications and some oral antibiotics may adequately treat early rhinophyma, with stronger medications used in severe cases. Rhinophyma, commonly referred to as alcoholic nose, is a condition in which the nose takes on a red coloration and becomes enlarged in a bulbous shape.

That being said, there may be some slight truth to the idea that drinking alcohol can contribute to the what drugs was eminem addicted to development of rhinophyma. Because drinking alcohol has been found to make rosacea worse in some people, it may also contribute to worsening the symptoms of rhinophyma. In the past, and even in modern times, rhinophyma was largely considered to be a side-effect of alcoholism or alcohol use disorder. Someone who has a bulbous, swollen red nose may suffer from incorrect judgments and assumptions about their character and substance use habits. Although the condition worsens with excessive alcohol use, an alcoholic nose is not a sign of addiction or a drinking problem. However, if your nose is constantly swollen, it might be a sign you’re drinking too much.