Bodily Appearance
Cosmetic
No Longer Wears Make-up
Lack of concern over their physical appearance can be an indication of a variety of different difficulties or drugs of abuse. If your child appears depressed and lethargic, the use of alcohol, marijuana, or other depressive drugs may be to blame. An extreme lack of motivation can be a primary side effect of chronic marijuana use, effecting many areas of your kid’s life. If your kid is intoxicated on alcohol they can very often lose interest in their physical appearance as well, and develop a rebellious or uncaring attitude towards their hygiene. Different substances affect individuals differently, and an important constant to keep an eye on is changes in your kid’s attitude and appearance as opposed to their typical behavior. Lack of concern regarding appearance can often be a warning flag that should be paid close attention to.
Skin
Callous Index Finger
Burn marks along the fingers are tell-tale signs of habitual drug use, be it from the ashes of a marijuana pipe, the underside of a heroin cooker, or the sooty residue from cooking and consuming crack cocaine. Because the user is often aware of these discolorations they will go out of their way to cover them up, resulting in gray streaks along the fingers, or black markings under the nails. If you kid has symptoms of these markings, or develops a sudden need to wash his or her hands constantly then your child may be using one of the above substances.
Discoloration
Cellulitis
Cellulitis is a deep infection of the skin, usually accompanied by generalized (systemic) symptoms such as fever and chills. The area of redness increases in size as the infection spreads. Physical signs and symptoms include chills or shaking, fatigue, generally ill feeling, muscle aches and pains, warm skin, sweating, and even nausea and vomiting. Cellulitis in a younger person can often be due to a weakened immune system, and can even more often be the result of drug or alcohol abuse, and the corresponding lack of interest in their physical well being. If you believe your child has this condition you should take them to a doctor immediately, so that the infection does not worsen and that they can be given the appropriate medical treatment. It may also be time to have a discussion about their drinking and drug use, and what may have precipitated their infection.
Aging
In combination with cellulitis and other conditions of the skin (such as dryness) that afflict both alcoholics and stimulant abusers, the skin can begin to look much older than the user’s actual age. Sleeplessness and other side-effects of use can also lead to aging symptoms, such as graying skin and large discolored circles around the eye sockets. If your child looks consistently tired, or appears to have aged years in only months the chances re good that they have been abusing stimulants or heavily drinking. Occasionally opiate use can lead to a similar set of effects, including an unnaturally pale appearance and unusual sleeping routines, often staying up late into the night and sleeping throughout the day. When you take a look at you child’s appearance try to contrast with a relatively recent photo, since the slow transition to use may make their current appearance seem less out of the ordinary. The most important factor to notice is whether or not your child appears to look and act in a way that’s normal for them.
Scars
Circular scars
When an intravenous drug user misses a vein, or injects into a muscle the site and scars can appear as bruises and discoloration. As a result the IV drug user will try to mask the sites of their injection with ‘cover-up’ or other flesh toned make-up designed to return their skin to a normal shade. If your kid’s skin looks mottled and painted over the chances are that he/she is trying to cover up the track marks and signs of addiction experienced by most heroin users, Using camouflage to conceal bruising or injection site swelling is often only part of the attempt to conceal. Your child may also demonstrate a new ‘clumsiness,’ with lesions and bruises over part of their body they injured while high. They may also pass off the abscess as the result of another injury – getting a scrape that’s been infected or other minor wound. If your child displays any suspicious bruises, cover-up, or outright holes in their skin then they may be using intravenous drugs.
Lighter Scars
Another fairly typical symptom of drug use concerns the tendency to burn or otherwise mutilate the flesh when high on painkilling drugs or drunk to the point of anesthesia on alcohol. Occasionally at parties there will be a group of kids marking themselves in order to create similar scars, so that they have a common marking and ‘war story’ to tell one another. Look for cigarette burns, callused fingers, or “smiley faces” (formed by heating up a lighter and pressing the metal to the flesh), cuts, and other scars – these are all clear warning signs that your kid is in with a group that likes to get high and/or drunk enough to think that permanent scarring is a cool way to remember the party.
Cigarette Burns
Cigarette burns are often a sign that your child may be abusing drugs and alcohol. Cigarette burns can either be intentional or unintentional. Intentional burns result from kids thinking it is funny that they are not able to feel pain as much under the influence of drugs and alcohol and use it as a form of entertainment to burn each other. Unintentional cigarette burns can result from someone who is high or drunk falling asleep or “nodding out” with a cigarette in their mouth or hand and it will fall and burn them.
Cuts on Arms/Legs (Mutilation)
Self mutilation, or ‘cutting,’ can be a sign that your kid feels alone, ostracized, and incapable of dealing with the pain through any other means than inflicting injury on themselves. Look for signs of scarring, usually along the wrists or arms, to determine whether or not he or she is using this as a means of coping with life’s difficulties. Oftentimes kids with a tendency to self-mutilate are also at a much higher risk to develop chemical dependencies. If your child seems to have become very ‘accident prone’ and developed a pattern of harming him or herself then they are unquestionably at a higher risk of abusing substances.
Hygiene
Stop Shaving Legs (Girls)
When someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol, it is very common for them to lose motivation and give up maintaining their hygiene. This can result from certain drugs such as marijuana, opiates, benzodiazapenes and alcohol, since these drugs all have similar effects by making the user lethargic. Also, often someone who is highly addicted to drugs have one goal, and that one motivation is to get more drugs, thus losing the motivation to practice self care. Girls may stop shaving their legs, men may stop shaving their face, girls may not take off their makeup, and both men and women may shower less and wear dirty clothes.
Doesn’t Shower
Lack of motivation to shower or maintain their physical appearance can be a red flag. When your child goes from a well groomed young man or woman to grunge rock poster child there may be some substance use at play. Alcohol reliance often fosters a lack of concern about hygiene, as well as benzodiazapene use. If you kid appears to have lost concerns about their normal daily appearance, shaving and showering may go by the wayside as they escalate their usage. Other normal acts, like making the bed and organizing their living area, if attended to before, can be potential warning signs of involvement with depressants.
Wears Same Make-up
Another aspect of your kids hygiene that can be lost due to drugs and alcohol is that they may stop washing their face before bed. Specifically for girls, they may stop washing their face and just touch up their makeup, since they already have make up on from the day before. If you notice your child is wearing more make up than usual, or if their overall face does not look clean, it may be a sign that they are using drugs or alcohol.
Dress
Wears Dirty Clothes
“Amotivational syndrome,” is a term for chronic marijuana smoker’s inability to rise to the daily facts of life. While not scientifically proven it is based on an observation of the heavy pot smoker’s reluctance to perform daily tasks, work effectively, or apply themselves to social endeavors. If your child seems to be listless and removed from the daily efforts of life, including little things like washing and changing their clothes daily – this can be a symptom of habitual marijuana use. Such a symptom can be the first warning sign of dependence on, and addiction to, marijuana in the life of your child. Overall the wardrobe and cleanliness of your kid can be a telltale means of determining their drug use.
Hairstyle
Dreadlocks
The style of your kid may have changed recently, and this can be a normal part of adolescence. If, however, they’ve suddenly developed an interest in all things Jamaican then you may have a ‘budding’ marijuana addict on your hands. Typical warning signs include a collection of red, gold, and green (the old colors of the Jamaican flag) memorabilia, and a tendency to wear their hear knotted into dreadlocks. Beeswax or other grease inducing substances are often added to the hair to affect the ‘dreadlock’ look, and if your kid is wearing the hair style of Bob Marley then chances are quite high that they are also regularly smoking marijuana.
Clothes
Bracelets/Armbands
Clothing styles can often be a major tip-off for parents who want to find out what substances their kid may be using. If the weather outside is sunny and seventy degrees, yet your child is wearing long sleeves every day chances are that they are trying to conceal markings made by either self-inflicted injury or IV drug use. Extreme sensitivity to heat or cold, or an apparent inability to tell the difference, can also be telltale signs of stimulant use. Users of cocaine and methamphetamine often go from hot to cold, and are constantly shedding or adding clothes to compensate for their wildly fluctuating internal thermometer. It’s important to know that bracelets and other extravagant wrist accessories can be covering up the cuts and gashes made by ‘cutters,’ teens who self-mutilate in order to make themselves feel better. In any of these cases the wardrobe of your kid can be an important factor to pay attention to.
Only Wears Long Sleeve
Most parents do not want to admit that their child is using intravenous drugs, and would prefer to turn their head than to face the truth. If your child is starting to look paler, thinner, and is not practicing good self care, then it may be time to take a closer look. Heroin addicts and other Intravenous drug users will often wear clothing that covers up areas of injection on their body, and the most common place to inject drugs is in the crease of one’s arm. Another means to hide their addiction is to use make up or other forms of cosmetic cover up to mask the track marks. Track marks can range from veins looking thicker, a vein having a more distinct color, dry or peeling skin around the area, scars and red unhealed skin, and even open wounds and bruises. It is essential to pay close attention to your child’s wardrobe, physical appearance and their behavior.
Accessories
Bandanas
Does your child seem to only wear certain colors of garments these days? Can your kid only leave the house with his favorite bandana or do-rag? If so he or she may be involved with a gang or affiliated criminal group. Gangs wear colors and head garb to identify themselves and their territory, and to intimidate others that might move in on their ground. Often gangs have ‘recruitment pools’ that are made up of young men (and some women) who are a street level affiliate of the larger organization. If your kid seems bent on proving himself and keep getting in trouble with the law over minor charges then he/she may be in the process of gang initiation. Drug and alcohol consumption can also be a part of much gang activity, and violent crime also plays a role in maintaining territory and settling disputes. Keep on the look-out for these behaviors, as well as noticing your kid’s clothing, this can be an important first hint into whether or not they’re choosing to pursue the gang ‘lifestyle.’
Sunglasses at Odd Times
Almost all drug and alcohol use have an effect on one’s eyes. Drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana can result in blood shot eyes, where as dilated pupils are a result of stimulants such as cocaine, meth, Adderal, and ecstasy. Drugs such as heroin, Oxycontin, Xanax and other opiate and benzodiazepine drugs will makes one’s pupils very small, almost pin point. Drug addicts will often wear sunglasses at times when it is not sunny or indoors to hide their eyes. Also, many addicts will use Visine or other red reducing eye drops to mask their blood shot eyes. Lastly, some addicts may even go as far as to take other drugs to regulate the size of their pupils, which can be very dangerous as they are mixing different drugs.
Sores
Tracks
If your kid is wearing long sleeves more often, or hiding the inside of their arms, it may be a sign they are using intravenous drugs. Injecting drugs in veins on their arms is the most common place for injections, however, other popular areas are hands, feet, and thighs. If you start to notice your kids’ veins looking more red, containing scars, or even open wounds, then there is a high possibility your child is using intravenous drugs.
Picking Sores
Heavy stimulant use, specifically meth addiction, causes a rise in body temperature and increased blood flow to the skin to counteract it. Also, the skin is the site where all the toxic wastes in meth escape, which creates a great discomfort for the drug user. This causes the user to “tweak out” and obsessively pick, scrape and dig at their skin usually with their finger nails. This action results in open, red sores mostly on the face and arms, but can be anywhere on the body. If your child’s skin contains open wounds, or sores it may be a red flag that they are using crystal meth or other stimulant drugs.
Abscesses
There are many risks that go along with intravenous drug use. The most common known risks are the possibility of contracting HIV or Hepatitis C from sharing needles or using dirty needles. Another possible consequence of intravenous drug use is the formation of an abscesses, which is an infection in the injection site. If your child is acting in any way to hide their arms, or other areas of their body from you, this may be a sign of them hiding track marks or an abscesses. If your child does have an abscesses, then they need to seek medical attention.
Injuries
Limping
The formation of an abscesses is caused by an infection in the injection site. If your child is acting in any way to hide their arms, or other areas of their body from you, this may be a sign of them hiding track marks or an abscesses. If your child does have an abscesses, then they need to seek medical attention.
Swollen Limbs
The formation of an abscesses is caused by an infection in the injection site. If your child is acting in any way to hide their arms, or other areas of their body from you, this may be a sign of them hiding track marks or an abscesses. If your child does have an abscesses, then they need to seek medical attention.
Bruises
Bruises on your child’s body can indicate that they are using intravenous drugs. Bruising results from missing a vein, and injecting the drug into one’s skin. Intravenous drug use has a high rate of overdoses and is a very serious issue. If you notice any signs that your child may be using intravenous drugs, act accordingly and help your child.
Black Eyes
Heavy drinking and drug use often leads to physical altercations. If your kid is showing up, bruised and bloody from a night out with his friends, the chances are that they are imbibing alcohol or other mind altering substances. Resolving conflicts with violence means their decision making skills are probably compromised, and should definitely be questioned. Ask your kid about the circumstances surrounding the fight, and if there was alcohol or other drugs involved, especially if altercations seem to be becoming a pattern of their nightly or weekend activities.
Fighting Injuries
Heavy drinking and drug use often leads to physical altercations. If your kid is showing up, bruised and bloody from a night out with his friends, the chances are that they are imbibing alcohol or other mind altering substances. Resolving conflicts with violence means their decision making skills are probably compromised, and should definitely be questioned. Ask your kid about the circumstances surrounding the fight, and if there was alcohol or other drugs involved, especially if altercations seem to be becoming a pattern of their nightly or weekend activities.
Eye Characteristics
Dilated
Extreme pupil dilation in conditions that don’t seem appropriate, (like dilated pupils in the light) can be an indication of drug use, most often stimulants but also marijuana and other hallucinogens. Along with the dilation of the pupil there can be other symptoms, such as tearing up (which can appear as crying in the most extreme instances). The eyes or the lids themselves can also look red and irritated, and your kid may have a preoccupation with their eyes that includes constant looking in the mirror or other reflective surfaces.
Pinned Pupils
Pupil constriction is most often the direct result of opiate intoxication, as the vascular constriction promoted by narcotics applies itself to the eyes as well. Another side effect will be a ‘glassy eyed’ look and the accumulation of bags under the eyes, as if your kid hasn’t been sleeping often or well. In addition to pupil dilation there’s also a look of pale skin common to opiate abusers, as if they haven’t been out in the sun (often due to a lack of vitamin D). If your child exhibits one or all of these symptoms then it may be time to have a talk about opiate addiction and treatment.
Bloodshot
Marijuana users make their red eyes a point of pride, a fact that you as a parent should pay close attention to. If your kid is showing up to life’s events with runny, tearing, or rouge colored eyes then he or she has most likely been smoking weed or drinking alcohol. Consumption of either of these intoxicants can lead to the above effects, and often lends the eyes a glassy appearance – as if there’s a sheen of water covering the eye at all times. In order to cover up these tell-tale signs many kids use Visine or similar drops, and keep them around at all times. The presence of red, glassy eyes or unnaturally whitened orbs – either one can be an indication that your child may be getting drunk or high.
Does Not Make Eye Contact
Lack of eye contact in a discussion can be a physical cue that your kid’s lying to you, or trying to avoid a confrontation. If your kid’s doing drugs, chan