What is your acne trying to tell you?
There is a vast amount of products on the market that are aimed to banish those horrible breakouts that we all get at the most inconvenient times. But are products and potions the best way to fight off unwanted spots? What if you could make some simple lifestyle changes to help banish breakouts and avoid them all together in the future? Sometimes, the cause for these breakouts are internal, and will only subside once the cause is found and fixed. According to some very old practices, where acne shows up on your face can be important clues as to what the internal problem is.
This is called Face Mapping!
The practice of ‘face mapping’ helps examine the skin and the locations of skin imperfections to diagnose the internal issues. Basically meaning, that certain parts of your face are connected to other areas of the body. Like in reflexology where people believe that different points of the foot relate to different areas on the rest of the body; face mapping is the idea that spots on different areas of the face will normally correspond with different issues within the body.
The art of face mapping, is based on ancient Chinese medicine & Ayurveda practices and the principles of these have been integrated into some of Western medical practices. Although internal problems can be the main cause of acne, especially if you get cystic pimples, there are a number of components that can be responsible for breakouts. For example, using the wrong skin care products could irritate your skin, or using none at all. Hygiene, if you are on a phone all day, can clog your pores with dirt and makeup. Or if you are a serial face toucher it can cause spots too, through oils in your hands. Sometimes it’s just genetics, but hopefully trying some of these different ideas can help improve the look of your skin.
Below we will look at some of the different areas of the face and what they mean, but it is important to know some general advice that can really help with a better overall complexion.
Firstly, drink water. Being dehydrated is one of the biggest reasons for bad skin. Not only that, but it can also lead to bags and dark circles around your eyes, so make sure you’re keeping hydrated.
Diets can have a big impact on the way you look, so try and avoid excess sugar, dairy products, chocolate, caffeine, fizzy drinks and processed foods. Instead, enjoy plenty of squash, cucumbers, watermelon, winter melon, celery, carrots, cabbage, beet tops, aloe vera, mulberry leaf, lettuce, potatoes, cherries, papaya, pears, raspberries, buckwheat, brown rice, lentils and split peas.
Face mapping separates the face into a few main areas, each of which have their own possible underlying issues that could cause a break out. The main areas are forehead, between the eyebrows,temples, nose, ears, left cheek, right cheek, mouth, chin and neck. Although there are general ways you can improve your overall complexion, if you have a specific problem area it’s a good idea to work out the possible cause and then resolve it with a more specific treatment.
Forehead
Before we look at possible underlying issues that cause spots on the forehead, let’s think about some of the possible environmental factors that could cause such problems. For example, if you have a fringe or wear dirty hats/caps all day these could be the cause of your breakouts. To avoid this it’s crucial to make sure that hats and caps are washed regularly and avoided in warmer weather where they could cause excessive sweating and irritate the skin. Also wash your fringe regularly and be aware of the shampoo and products you use on your hair, because these could also be causing irritation to your skin.
Ayurveda suggests that the forehead is ruled by the Vata dosha, this means it is paralleled to the nervous system and digestive system. This would suggest that the cause of breakouts would be due to stress and internal stagnation including digestion, liver and small intestine problems. Some of the best ways to combat this would be firstly to try and get a good night’s sleep. Try and get into a pattern of going to bed by 10pm and waking up around 6am, even if you don’t go to sleep just relaxing in bed can really help your liver rest ready for the next day. Have a look at your diet, are you eating a lot of processed, fatty and junk food? Try and cut down how much of these you eat.
Swap your fizzy and sugary drinks for water to help you stay hydrated, flush out toxins and improve digestion. If you feel stressed why not try some relaxation techniques to lower your stress levels. This could include doing 20-30 minutes of exercise each day, which not only would release endorphins and improve your mood but will also help improve digestion. There is a chance that a certain food group doesn’t agree with your body, so why not keep a food diary and see if there is a pattern between your break outs and a specific food type. Green tea is packed full of antioxidants, so cuddling up on the sofa with a big mug of green tea and a good film could be just what the doctor ordered.
Between the Eyebrows
Spots between the eyebrows can stem from a few lifestyle choices. Smoking and drinking alcohol can be an easily fixed cause for spots, so try cutting these out first and see if it helps. If you find that you are still plagued with eyebrow spots it could be a sign of liver and heart problems or possibly food allergies. Firstly make a food diary to see if you can find any foods that don’t agree with you. For example, you could have a small intolerance to dairy products and simply lowering your intake of them could help banish the break out. Once again exercise will always help to increase blood flow and improve your complexion, it should also help you to sleep better which will in turn help rest your liver. Try and eat lighter foods which are less rich and definitely avoid late night snacking!
Temples
Your temples can, like anything around your eyes, be caused by dehydration. So make sure you’re drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Also, especially during the summer, makeup and sweat can be an obvious cause for breakouts. Try and keep your face clean and avoid heavy makeup on hotter days. Underlying issues that can cause spots on your temples include kidneys, poor lymphatic circulation and gallbladder problems. Try to reduce the amount of unhealthy fat in your diet, try and swap it for healthy fats found in avocado and fish. Eating cooling foods such as bitter melon, cucumber and gourds will also have a positive effect.
Nose
Breakouts on your nose have a number of possible causes, but one of the main causes can be poor blood circulation. Consider going to have your blood pressure checked and checking your vitamin B levels. This could lead to a need to be more aware of your cholesterol and therefore your fatty food intake as well as your salt intake and vitamin B in your diet. Again, exercising daily can really help improve your blood flow, which in turn is great for your skin. Just remember to cleanse your skin afterwards. Another simple tip is to massage the area around your nose as this will help to improve your blood circulation.
Ears
Ears are possibly one of the most simple areas, reasons for breakouts on your ears are normally kidney related or due to dehydration. The best way to fight these are simply drinking more water and avoiding fizzy, caffeinated and alcoholic drinks. If this doesn’t solve your problem then a quick visit to the doctor may reveal the answer to your problem.
Cheeks
Cheeks are interesting because, although there is an umbrella of issues that can cause spots on your cheeks, there are also select issues that relate to each cheek too. Firstly, it’s important to think about environmental factors which could affect your skin, for example using a phone all day can spread bacteria all over your face. Make sure to clean your phone regularly as well as being aware of heavy makeup on your phone. It’s important to clean your face to avoid the spread of bacteria, even a dirty pillowcase could lead to spots if you forget to wash or cleanse your face each morning. Regularly cleaning pillowcases too can help avoid the spread of bacteria. Some of the more general possible problems include stress, allergies, too much dairy and poorly lungs.
Some more specific issues related to the left cheek include the liver, finding it hard to absorb nutrition and stomach problems. While the right side has been related to lungs and too much sugar in your diet.
One of the best ways to help improve your cheeks health include quitting smoking. We all know smoking is bad for us, but it really can have a major impact on our body and our skin. If you need an excuse to quit, just think about how much healthier your skin will be if you do.
Keeping your body cool is another good way to tackle breakouts. Avoid getting overheated, especially if you have a full face of makeup on. If you are exercising remember to cleanse the skin before and after to avoid your pores opening and taking in any dirt which cause spots. Eating cooling foods can also help, these includes gourds, winter melons and green beans. Your sugar intake can also add to your problems, so try cutting down some of the unnecessary sugar in your diet.
If you are feeling stressed and run down try and get yourself into a healthy routine with a set bedtime, hopefully this will help to keep you calm and more positive.
Mouth and Chin
Other common areas that people tend to experience acne, pimples and blemishes, is the mouth and chin area. This is predominantly due to hormonal changes and stress. You must allow the body to function properly, without treating it like it’s a machine. Remember to get enough sleep, hydration and most of all eat a well balanced diet. All these things can help keep the skin looking healthy and energised. Having a lack of hydration can lead to having kidney imbalances, which can cause an outbreak of pimples on the chin area.
First thing in the morning
If you are waking up and finding spots, that weren’t there the night before, then there could be a few things at work. Firstly, it could be that you have forgotten to wash your face before heading to bed. Secondly, you could of eaten something for dinner or dessert, that might of not digested well, which will cause changes to your skin. Also eating too close to bedtime can encourage outbreaks overnight.
Afternoon
This could be caused by your hormones. It could be that you’re getting close to your menstrual cycle or, failing that, it could be your moisturiser or makeup that is to blame. If you started out with a freshly washed face before applying your makeup, then check the ingredients within your make up and your other product you use. Added ingredients such as mineral oil and propylene glycol can actually create a barrier on the skin, that will trap bacteria underneath, increasing the chance of you having breakouts by midday.
Evening
All day our skin is subjected to pollution and other contaminants in the air, as well as having your makeup sitting on your face all day long. The second you walk through the door, after a long day, wash your face and put on some fresh moisturising cream. Doing this will help prevent the evening acne.
