Does Smoking Weed Cause Breakouts?Khadija Horton/Getty Images "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Sorry, Mom, but I smoke weed. Now that it’s legal in the state I live in (and every other state I’ve ever lived in, TBF), I enjoy indulging in an occasional nightly edible or vape pen. It helps me sleep! Whatever! I’m an adult! Recently though, I started wondering if THC could be negatively impacting my skin. Specifically: Is weed causing my breakouts?

Over the last few months, my skin been all over the place ( blackheads , whiteheads , cystic acne , the like). I’ll go through a few months of clarity, all to break out with a vengeance for another few months. Then the cycle repeats. But I noticed that my most recent spur of acne neatly coincided with an uptick in my nightly habit. Before I did something rash and quit using THC altogether, I consulted a dermatologist to get to the bottom of things: What does weed do to your skin?

Not enough studies have been done for us to know exactly how weed impacts your skin. That said, research has shown that marijuana may slightly increase testosterone levels which may be associated with increased acne, says dermatologist Karan Lal , MD. When your testosterone spikes, so does oil production, leading to pimples. So… Does weed cause acne?

It could, depending on how much you use, how you use it (more on that below), and if you’re genetically predisposed to acne. It’s also important to consider how weed impacts behavior. Think about it: It’s 2 a.m. and you’re stoned, watching Planet Earth for the hundredth time and placing a greasy Uber Eats order. Are you really washing off your makeup and changing out your pillowcase and spreading on your salicylic acid serum or retinol for acne ? Probably not. “Marijuana is commonly associated with what we call a motivational syndrome—it makes people not want to do things,” says Dr. Lal. It makes you turn off for a lil while, possibly leading you to make […]

What’s Worse for Your Skin: Smoking Weed or Eating Edibles?