Does Smoking Weed Cause Acne?

Smoking cigarettes is known to be terrible for your health, including your skin, but does smoking weed cause acne? Even though smoking weed and cigarettes are two completely different things, you wouldn’t be alone if you wondered if marijuana also affected your skin. 

Make no mistake about it, there are a handful of beneficial medicinal properties associated with medical marijuana, but there are also a few side effects to consider, as well.

There is research on marijuana and its effect on the skin and acne that could give us some powerful insight as to how it all works, but the thing is, it’s still very young, so keep an open mind. 

So, without further ado, let’s jump right into answering the question, “does smoking weed cause acne?” 

Does Smoking Weed Cause Acne?

Acne is a widespread struggle for many people, typically originating from the early years of puberty. Even though acne technically isn’t supposed to flare up nearly as much in our adult years, it still happens from time to time.

We’ve all been there. It’s not ideal, but it happens.

Luckily for our fellow tokers out there, the research conducted surrounding smoking weed, and an increase in acne levels show no direct correlation, meaning that smoking weed shouldn’t directly cause you to get break out. 

But here is where it gets a bit tricky. 

The act of smoking weed in itself may not cause any acne flare-ups and inflammation on its own, but it might have some side effects that indirectly lead to it.

Don’t get us wrong, getting high from time to time is great and can help with a handful of things like anxiety, stress, and even chronic pain. However, if your looks matter to you, it’s essential to pay attention to the side effects because that’s where the money’s – in terms of knowledge and prevention techniques – at. 

Here’s what we’re talking about:

Getting High Makes us Crave Carbs

Chances are, if you’ve ever been high before, you’ve had a case of the munchies. If that term doesn’t ring a bell, the munchies are a common side effect of consuming weed that causes a visceral craving for carbohydrate-rich foods, so anything like pizza, fries, chips, and most other types of junk food. 

The point is, being high usually makes us go crazy on these types of foods since it makes them taste so much better.

The problem is, these types of foods aren’t necessarily helpful for maintaining acne-free skin. In fact, they do more harm than good. 

This is because most of the foods we crave when we have the munchies are chock-full of refined carbohydrates and sugars and are known to spike our blood sugar levels and cause inflammation, making our skin produce more sebum, a type of oil that is produced by the skin.

Sebum by itself isn’t really all that bad. In fact, it’s actually used to help keep the skin and hair moisturized. However, when our bodies go into overdrive and produce too much of it, it starts to clog our pores and form whitehead pimples. Needless to say, this isn’t a great look if you’re trying to go the acne-free route.

Granted, you can avoid this altogether if you simply choose not to eat junk food while high. That said, it’s much easier said than done. If you’re one of the lucky few, who can resist, kudos to you.

Spikes in Hormone Levels

Oddly enough, weed is actually known to spike our testosterone levels. If you aren’t already familiar, testosterone is a hormone produced by the body, predominantly more in men, that can change behaviour, appearance and help build muscle and bone mass. 

Aside from all of that, a spike in hormone levels can do heavy damage to our clean skin.

Although weed may provide a temporary boost in testosterone levels, it’s relatively short-lived and is not currently known to have any large impacts on acne. 

Keeping that in mind, there is evidence that people who produce more testosterone typically have more acne than those who do not, so you might want to be careful.

Toxic Compounds in The Smoke

Make no mistake. Smoking is not good for you at all, let alone for promoting clear skin. Smoking has been proven to interfere with the blood circulation in the skin, which could enhance ageing and worsen the look of the skin. 

The lack of nutrients directed to the skin due to smoking may also make current acne worse. That said, alternative methods of enjoying marijuana may be more beneficial if you are currently dealing with skin conditions.

For example, if you’re looking for a convenient yet delicious method of getting your daily weed dose, edibles are a fantastic way to go. Edibles, such as those created by us at Sugar Jack’s, provide a discreet and delicious method of ingesting your favourite icky sticky without producing any harmful smoke that could damage your skin. 

Not only that,  but edibles are accurately dosed to ensure that you know just how much you’re taking for a fun and reliable experience any time, anywhere! 

Too Much Weed Can Lead to Too Much Stress

Studies have shown that consuming too much weed can actually increase stress levels rather than decrease them, which is pretty counterintuitive if you’re trying to use it to relieve stress and anxiety. 

However, the problem with getting stressed out or increasing cortisol levels is that they tend to slow the healing of existing acne zones, making sure they stay on your skin for longer. 

With that all said and done, you don’t need to completely put your cannabis use to a halt, but introducing a bit of moderation could benefit the health of your skin, and the rest of your body for that matter, by a longshot.

What About Weed for Skin?

Depending on how you take it, weed is going to affect your skin differently. That said, consuming it in traditional ways, like smoking, may lead to indirect acne flare-ups through some of the previously mentioned routes.

However, many marijuana products like cannabis topicals, including creams, lotions, and oils, can be applied directly to the skin for some localized relief without the harmful effects associated with smoking.

Since the skin is home to a decent amount of cannabinoid receptors, you’ll get some of the therapeutic and anti-inflammatory properties of cannabis without getting high. This is a great way to spot-treat acne flare-ups or areas of the skin that have become targets of inflammation.

Should You Continue to Smoke Weed?

Since smoking itself is actually pretty harmful to your skin, it is advised to stop smoking altogether to get the max benefit while enjoying your weed. Instead, you can try to vape your weed, eat your weed in edible form, or even try tinctures.

That said, if smoking weed holds a special place in your heart, and you just can’t stop, you might want to look towards cannabis topicals.

Even still, if you just can’t imagine not smoking weed ever again, practicing moderation is the best way to ensure healthy habits. You can even switch things up while still ingesting regularly by incorporating these other products into your smoking regimen to add some variety while spacing out smoke seshes. 

Healthy Herb Habits

We all love getting high from time to time, and even though the research indicates that there is no evidence that smoking weed can cause acne, it’s important to be aware of some of the side effects that may lead to acne in the future. 

So, if you feel a case of the munchies coming on, make sure that your kitchen is stocked with healthy snack alternatives to avoid ingesting too much junk food and increasing oil production in your skin. Also, split up your smoke seshes by integrating new and fun weed-infused products into your regime to keep things interesting. 

Of course, practicing healthy skin habits such as cleansing and moisturizing regularly are also excellent ways to ensure that your skin is clear and pristine.

Stay healthy!