Face mapping - what's your acne telling you?

Do you persistently get acne in the same areas of your face?

Your skin reflects your internal health. By splitting it into several different sections and understanding these ‘zones’, you can develop an understanding of what is causing your acne. Please, do not forget that your hygiene, diet, hormones and even genetics can also play a part in causing your acne. I myself have suffered with acne from the age of 13, and here I find myself, 10 years later, still suffering the occasional, sometimes unexplainable outbreaks. Face mapping and a few basic tips has helped me explain, control and minimise many of my breakouts.

Face mapping is a popular method in skin care, focusing on multiple zones of the face, such as forehead, chin and nose and using these areas to decipher just what is going on inside your body. This is by no way a definitive answer to the war on acne, but it is a good start.

Forehead

Outbreaks on your forehead can be caused by a toxin build up, usually related to poor digestion and lack of water. Drinking water helps to flush out the toxins in your body, so boost your water intake and have a look at the foods you are eating. Remember, you should be having at least 8 large glasses of water every day. Minimise your intake of fizzy drinks and high caffinated drinks. Also look at switching to herbal teas, especially green tea! Keep a food diary and see if you can pinpoint what food groups cause your skin to break out, for example if you consume a lot of dairy and breakout, you could have a form of lactose intolerance, affecting your digestion.

Nose

What goes on, on your nose, is linked to your heart. A swollen and bulbous nose can be an indication of high blood pressure, so if you are someone who drinks many energy drinks throughout the day, cut back! (you should cut back on these anyway for your overall health) Eat slow energy releasing foods such as nuts and oats instead. To reduce your blood pressure eat less salt, more fruit and veg, maintain a healthy weight and active lifestyle, as well as reducing your alcohol intake.

That area above your nose, between your eyes.

Any redness and flakiness of the skin in this area is linked to your liver. If you are someone who enjoys eating out a lot, then you will be consuming many rich ingredients used in the food. Try to avoid the likes of cheese, butter, cream and oils when ordering. Why not make eating in the new eating out? In addition, do not eat late at night! Studies have shown that the body’s metabolism starts to slow down into the evening, preparing for the nights rest. Try to avoid eating late at night; especially right before bedtime as your body will not break down the food as effectively, leading to a toxin build up. If you have regular meal times set, try to keep your evening meal before 9pm, though some say avoid eating after 7pm. Love your liver by maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle, eating leafy greens, avoiding drugs, alcohol and smoking, and reducing your fat intake.

Upper Cheek

Your upper cheek is linked to your lungs. If you have breakouts and broken capillaries in this area, this can be caused directly by smoking and passive smoking. The air you are breathing will show in this area of your face, so if, for example, you are living in a highly polluted area, you are more likely to break out in this area. However, if you sleep on the side of your face, or use your mobile phone on this side, the germs and dirt can be transferred and will clog your pores, causing breakouts. To prevent this, change your pillowcase at least once a week, and wipe down your phone with an antibacterial wipe every few days. Foods great for healthier lungs include, kale, sprouts and pumpkin.

Lower Cheek

Breakouts on your lower cheek can be an indication of poor dental hygiene. If you have any infections in your mouth, especially involving your gums, this will show on the outside too. Always keep on top of your dental health, brushing, mouthwash and flossing twice a day and regular check ups at the dentist at least twice a year! Don't just wait until you have a dental problem to make an appointment. Reduce fizzy drinks, sugary snacks, and check your getting enough calcium in your diet.

Ears

Many of the spots you get on your ears are those under the skin, lumpy type, almost cystic and can be painful. Your ears are linked to your kidneys, so if you are not up on your water intake, or have too much salt and caffeine in your diet, this could explain why you are suffering in this area. Remember, your body generally needs around 8 large glasses of water a day, but throw in a few extra for good measure, especially during the warmer seasons. Cut back on food with a high salt content and try caffeine free tea’s and decaf coffee’s. Cranberry juice and legumes are great for promoting healthy kidneys!

Side of the Chin

I, like many other women, break out in this area around my time of the month. This area is related to your hormones, so any sudden changes or a hormonal imbalance, can cause breakouts here. These tend to appear a few days before you are due to start a period, and clear up once your period is over. It can be tempting to pick them but don’t! I find they are the quickest to clear up so it’s better to put up with them for a few days than be left with a nasty scar. Also, if you are not getting a lot of sleep or find yourself stressed out, you are likely to breakout here too. The average person needs roughly 6.5 to 8 hours of sleep a night, are you getting yours?

Chin

Your chin is linked to your small intestine, so a poor diet or food allergies could cause you to break out in this area. Look at your diet; are there any specific food groups, such as dairy, that when you eat, you suffer an uncomfortable digestion or breakout in this area? It could be worth keeping a food diary and a record of your experiences to see which foods trigger the symptoms and outbreaks. Do you eat many oily foods too? The oils from these foods can make quite a mess on your face when eating, so make sure you clean around your mouth properly after eating to stop any build up on the surface. Daily pro biotic drinks, fruits and vegetables, fish and seeds will all help maintain a healthy intestine.

Neck and Chest

Breakouts here are usually caused by stress. I have found that by practising stress relieving activities, such as yoga, meditation and certain writing methods, I have been able to take control, de-stress and reduce breakouts in this area. Remember, the clothes you wear and the products you wash them in can irritate your skin and cause breakouts here too., as well as perfumes and body sprays. Asparagus, almonds and tuna also have stress relieving properties.

Note, this hub has been designed as a guide. It will not ring true for every acne sufferer but it can be used as an aid in starting to understand what your acne is telling you about your body. There are many external, sometimes uncontrollable factors that cause acne and there is never a perfect solution. By taking good care of our bodies and leading a healthy, active lifestyle, we can start to make the changes and improve our skins condition.