FAQ About Marijuana: Can Smoking Weed Cause Acne?

You might be aware of marijuana’s effects on liver, lungs and other body organs but do you know how does it affect your skin? With the use of Marijuana being increased, the questions such as “Can Smoking Weed Cause Acne?”, How Can Weed Smoke Harm my Skin” are the most asked ones. 

While any kind of smoke is bad for your skin, we will look into the relationship between weed and acne. We are not here to judge anyone, if smoking weed is good or bad, we will assist you to find the detailed solution to your query.

Marijuana: What is it and How does it Work?


Marijuana, also known as Cannabis is the processed version of the plant cannabis which is primarily made use of as a psychoactive drug. There are more than 480 known compounds out of which a minimum of 20% we refer as cannabinoids. These are responsible for the chemistry and functioning of your brain and body. Among these, the most popular one that you will come across is tetrahydrocannabinol also called THC.

Marijuana might not be legal all throughout the world, and its primary use is as a medicine and a painkiller drug. It also has anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties, the benefits of which you can enjoy if you use it in the proper form.

The Connection Between Smoking Weed and Acne

Via vice.com

Let’s begin with the moment of truth. Weed does cause acne. As mentioned above, the primary element of marijuana is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). It has a direct link with the testosterone hormone and eventually with acne.


Testosterone, although a male hormone, is one that you will find in both men and women. The smoke and vapors from the pot, when ingested, rapidly increase testosterone levels in your body. Increased testosterone levels further accelerate the production of sebum oil by your skin’s oil glands, hence eventually resulting in breakouts and zits especially in people more susceptible to acne.

Although it might not be too much as the testosterone levels shoot up by 3-5%, based on standard capacity to smoke weed, it does cause acne. This process explains why you get acne and breakouts soon after a shot.

What has Weed Smoke to Do with Acne?

Studies suggest that marijuana smoke is similar to cigarette smoke in many ways i.e. it’s smoke has harmful effects on your skin. Even though it might not aggravate the acne to a large extent, but it acts as a catalyst for the existing pimples, if any.


The smoke, when absorbed by the skin, harms the collagen which is responsible for making you look younger. Collagen is essentially a protein that ensures your skin’s good health and texture. The weed smoke acts as a hindrance to the production of collagen in your skin is eventually plummeted due to the harmful smoke that is absorbed by it.

Hence, promoting aging. Not only that, but it can also make existing skin problems worse such as rosacea, etc.

Damage that Weed Causes to Your Body

The damage that the weed causes to your body is not just limited to skin and the acne, but it also includes other problems like reduced immune system, etc.

  • Nutritional Deficiency Weed consumption can dispossess the body from vitamins and proteins hence keeping it away from an essential element of survival. Such depletion can be the cause of many diseases in future.
  • Reduced Immunity- As the weed smoke gets absorbed in your body, it leads to creating of suppression cells that lessen the efficiency of the immune system of your body and hence making you more prone to bacterial and viral infections.

Therefore, weed cannot be regarded as Acne causing and skin harmful element but also a practice that might not be a recommendation for a healthy body.

How to Protect Your Skin?

While most of you would prefer to quit smoking, some of you might still be undecided or wish to continue. In any case, it is critical to repair the damage already done and also to protect from further harm. Here are some well-researched tips that will help you to deal with acne and keep your skin healthy and youthful.

1. Keep Yourself Hydrated



We can never really express the importance of hydration for your skin in words. The basic idea behind drinking lots of water lies in the fact that smoking sucks up a lot of water and moisture from your body. Hence, it is imperative for you to keep the water supply to your body available and stay hydrated all the time.

Ample amount of Vitamin A from natural sources will reduce the oil production and hence take care of the breakouts and acne. On the other hand, Vitamin C is a good way to boost up collagen production naturally, hence dealing with the aging damage to your skin.

2. Foods Rich in Vitamin A and C


Vitamin A and C help in slowing down the anti-aging process and eventually repair the collagen damage. While Vitamin A will work on sebum oil production, Vitamin C will take care of the collagen.

3. Moisturize

As mentioned above, smoke from the pot is a natural sucker for moisture, not only from inside the body but also from the skin. The lack of moisture on the skin would make you feel dull and older with a rough patch texture.

Use a suitable and chemical free moisturizer to keep your skin’s glow on and gently massage so that it absorbs it all.

4. Supplements and Vitamins

Smoking pot has not only the effect of acne on your skin but also on your overall body such as reduced immune system, lungs, and liver damage, etc. Hence, it is advised to have a healthy diet full of vegetables and fruits and components such as Calcium, Vitamin A, etc. You might also take some supplements, but it must be combined with some natural sources too.

5. Effective Skin Care Routine

Credits:﻿﻿ Leggingsnlattes.com


While it turns out that it is not the weed but the delivery and channel of consumption that affects the acne production on your skin. Hence, we can say that smoking pot may be directly and indirectly responsible for breakouts, depending on various factors.

In reality, any smoke is bad for your skin, be it pot or cigarette.

If you find an immediate boost in the breakouts after smoking marijuana, it might be necessary to examine the reasons for such breakouts further. Marijuana, when applied to the skin, can do the exact opposite of what its smoke does to your skin.

Even if you are on your way to quitting it, it is recommended to follow the above steps and deal with the damage caused to your skin.






Jessica Kelley


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