Most people believe drugs and alcohol only affect the inside of the body. Although these substances do greatly affect internal organs, they affect the outside of the body as well. Drinking excessively or taking too many drugs takes a toll on the skin, teeth and weight.

Alcohol is loaded with calories. Drinking a beer or a glass of wine is equivalent to eating a buttered dinner roll. Having a few drinks also leads to overeating. In fact, surveys have shown that binge drinking caused people to eat about 6,000 extra calories. These calories from the overeating and beer or wine lead to what many refer to as the ‘beer belly.’

Additionally, alcohol causes broken capillaries in the eyes due to dilating blood vessels, and dry skin from dehydration. Dehydration from alcohol can leave you with brittle hair and nails and cause your skin to prematurely age.

Alcohol isn’t the only substance to cause weight gain. Another one is marijuana. Marijuana makes people hungry, which leads to overeating. Heroin, on the other hand, can lead to weight loss because it suppresses your appetite. Furthermore, heroin causes premature aging, visible track marks, sores, acne, and blue skin and nails due to low blood pressure.

Like Heroin, Cocaine also leaves visible sores. Cocaine is a substance that can have very drastic affects on your looks, like a sunken face or a collapsed nose from snorting the drug. Finally, there is meth. Meth causes weight loss, tooth decay, sores and premature aging.

All of these substances do not leave the user looking or feeling pretty. Yet another reason to stay away.