Did you know that your acne can reveal what’s going on inside your body?
Skin alone isn’t always responsible for acne – internal factors play a role too and they show up on your face. If a pimple pops up in the same spot repeatedly even after using the best anti-acne products and acne treatments, you may want to investigate further. One ancient technique to consider is face mapping.
Simply put, face mapping charts a correlation between your internal organs and the different areas of your face. This traditional Chinese practice suggests that your breakouts are often triggered by a very specific bodily issue, including an underlying digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory, and reproductive problem. The location of your acne can translate what your body is trying to tell you.
Today, face mapping is still practiced by medical professionals to diagnose internal health problems and other lifestyle-related factors. To help you identify the possible causes of your blemishes and the other health issues you may need to address, check your face, see where your pimples usually show up and read this guide to know what they mean
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1. Forehead
Linked with: Digestion
Possible culprits: Digestive or liver problems, stress, and sleep deprivation
In traditional Chinese medicine, the forehead is connected to your digestive system; the upper part (near the hair line) is connected to the bladder, and the lower part (above the brows) is connected to the intestines.
Forehead breakouts on the forehead are usually linked to a struggling digestive system. It may indicate diet problems, like having a hard time breaking down certain foods, dehydration, bacterial imbalance, and overload of greasy, fatty foods, sugar, and alcohol.
Breakouts may also indicate liver issues, stress, and an irregular sleep schedule which mess up the digestive system.
Fix: Load up on more fruits and veggies into your diet. Cut down your intake of processed foods, wheat, and dairy, which are more difficult to break down.
If you’re having a hard time breaking down foods, try to chow down slowly and eat smaller portions. Consider bitter herbs and other digestive enzymes like bromelain, papaya, and pineapple. These vitamin-rich foods not only promote a healthier digestive system but also helps heal your skin from the inside out.
2. Between the eyebrows
Linked with: Liver
Possible culprits: Struggling liver due to alcohol and greasy foods.
The T-zone – the forehead, nose, and down the chin region – is generally a bit slicker than the rest of the face since it has more oil glands. You may assume that too much sebum and dead skin cells are responsible for the pimples on this area, but it may be more serious than this.
Breakouts between the brows may be linked to a liver issue, like a stressed liver and diseases including hepatitis, jaundice, and gallbladder issues. You may probably be guilty of overindulging in fatty, greasy foods that are difficult to digest, and in alcohol that requires your liver to work harder to filter it out and remove toxicity.
Fix: Cut back on alcohol and greasy, fatty foods. Try liver-supporting herbs like dandelion root, milk thistle seed, or yellow dock root. Stay hydrated too.
Sometimes, acne here can be a symptom of having excess in sugar. Try to cut back for a few days as well.
3. Nose
Linked with: Cardiovascular system
Possible culprits: Stress and fatigue, lack of sleep, high blood pressure and blood cholesterol
Don’t you hate it when you develop a huge, red, shiny, and extremely obvious pimple in the middle of your face? Any basic anatomy diagram shows that your nose is the window to the heart and the cardiovascular system. That said, when your blood flow or blood pressure alters due to lack of sleep, stress and fatigue, and poor circulation, expect your nose to flare up and be oilier.
Fix: Eat a clean, heart-healthy diet. Watch your blood pressure. Try yoga for stress reduction. Make sure you’re getting 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each night too.
4. Cheeks
Linked with: Respiratory system
Possible culprits: Pollution and allergens
Pores on the cheeks are the largest, making them more vulnerable to external pollutants that directly affects the respiratory system. If you always encounter contaminated air, like when you spend a lot of time in the city filled with dust and pollution, that may explain the pimples showing up here. Allergens and bacteria, found in the air in your homes and your filthy phones, may also be causing cheek breakouts.
The fix: Make sure to cleanse things that touch your face regularly: your pillowcases, phone, and your hands. Add air-purifying plants and invest in air purifier both for your home and office space.
5. Jawline and Chin
Linked with: Hormonal system and reproductive organs
Possible culprits: Hormonal imbalance, menstruation cycle
Is that the time of the month already? Chin pimples often come around due to the changes in your hormones – and for women, menstruation is the one to blame. Women on their PMS usually see breakouts on the sides of the chin. Stress aggravates the breakouts by triggering the release of hormones like cortisol.
Fix: In the several days before your period, pay extra attention to your skin care. Consider a purifying mask or face steam. Eat clean and manage stress efficiently too.
Author Bio: Carmina Natividad is a resident writer for Géniale, a Medical Aesthetic and Skin Cancer Centre providing top of the line services from industry-leading skin cancer treatments to innovative medical aesthetic procedures. She writes articles focusing on cosmetic, medical, and surgical care, and wellness.