Alcoholic Nose Rhinophyma: The Real Cause, and How to Treat It

An Alcoholic’s nose or Rhinophyma is a condition where your nose, and occasionally other facial features, become swollen and permanently enlarged. At the same time, your nose will likely become redder and may become bumpy and take on a completely different shape. Alcoholic’s nose or Rhinophyma is a condition in which the alcoholics nose nose and occasionally other facial features become swollen and permanently enlarged.

• While alcohol may not be a cause of drinker’s nose, drinking alcohol can still affect your appearance.
• However, the true reason for this disfiguring condition has no clear causative trigger.
• An alcoholic nose, also known as a drinker’s nose, is characterized by a red, bumpy, and swollen nose.
• By debunking myths and focusing on comprehensive management, individuals can improve their quality of life and maintain healthier skin.
• Just because they have swelling and discoloration around the nose does not mean they are an alcoholic.
• The truth is that studies have shown there is very little, if any, connection between alcohol use and rhinophyma.

Prevention and Management

• We specialize in dual diagnosis treatment, meaning we are the best equipped to help individuals who have both substance use disorder and another mental illness.
• While several of these terms are related to drinking alcohol, the reality is that alcohol abuse is not considered a cause of rhinophyma.
• The doctor may provide a topical cream that constricts the blood vessels to reduce redness.
• Later, this condition advances to vascular rosacea, which involves swollen blood vessels and redness.
• Rhinophyma causes the nose to become even more disfigured due to the progressive dilation of the nasal vessels as well as the involvement of cysts and pustules.

Alcoholics nose, or drinker’s nose, is an informal term that refers to an enlarged purple or red nose thought to be caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Nevertheless, the idea of red-faced characters that you might expect to find in a Disney® movie’s tavern have also crossed over in a way to the real world. While it’s true that alcohol use may trigger rosacea flare-ups, this does not mean that every person with rosacea will automatically develop rhinophyma. It is an extreme side effect only experienced by a small percentage of people who suffer from rosacea. That being said, someone who already has rhinophyma may find their condition is worsened by drinking alcohol.

Drinker’s Nose

Rhinophyma or a gin blossom nose may not directly result from heavy drinking. However, chronic, excessive alcohol use can cause physical effects like extreme capillary dilation and a red nose or face. Over time, the damaged capillaries rise to the skin’s surface, causing a red appearance to the face and visible blood vessels. Rhinophyma is a condition that occurs when rosacea, a chronic skin disorder, spreads to the nose. Rosacea causes visibly red or swollen skin and sometimes bumps or acne-like conditions. So-called “drinker’s nose” is a common way to describe what is known as rhinophyma.

Why Have People Associated Rhinophyma With Alcohol Abuse?

• Merge onto I-5 N. Travel on I-5 N for approximately 65 miles.Use the right 2 lanes to take exit 91 for Bake Parkway.
• These physical changes can be distressing and impact a person’s self-esteem and social interactions.
• Before beginning treatment, a physician may take a biopsy to ensure the disfigurement is not due to cancerous growth instead of simple inflammation from rosacea.

It shows up more frequently in men than women and is common among those with fair skin and European ancestry. Excessive drinking has numerous impacts on your body and mind, ranging from mild to severe. Learn which signs to look out for, and how to care for your well-being. Check out our blog posts and resource links for the latest information on substance abuse. Rhinophyma can be an exceedingly distressing condition because of its dramatic appearance, but safe and reliable treatment is available.

For more advanced forms of rhinophyma, the most effective way to manage thickened skin is almost exclusively through physically removing excess tissue. Sometimes, this can include relying on ablative lasers or electrical currents (a treatment known as diathermy) to help remove excess tissue. Treatment for rhinophyma can vary depending on the severity of the condition.