What Your Facial Acne Says About Your Health?
While it’s one of the most common skin conditions in the world, not many people realize what acne really is. Even scientists haven’t nailed down the specifics!
Generally speaking, however, pimples are believed to be the product of oil glands and skin follicles. On a normal day, oil rises through the follicles without incident or even notice, lubricating tiny hairs on the skin and not doing anyone any harm. On a bad day, the follicles get blocked and the oil builds up underneath the skin, and that’s where you get the pus, redness and bumpy appearance of acne.
While opinions are divided on the best way to treat acne, a new phenomenon called “facemapping” might help. It involves looking at individual areas of the face and determining why they break out separately from other parts. According to the science of facemapping, you can reduce or even eliminate breakouts if you know how to categorize them.
Grab a mirror and see for yourself!
Forehead
Cause: Forehead zits usually come from a problem with your diet. You may be eating too much fat, sugar or diary, or your body may not be processing these things like it should in your digestive system.
Treatment: Start cutting foods out of your diet to see if they have any effect on the size or frequency of your breakouts. If you’re suddenly pimple-free after you stop buying milk, you might’ve just discovered a lactose intolerance.
Nose
Cause: Dirty, dilated pores are the most common culprits of nose pimples, but if you wash your face every night and still get awful red bumps, it might be because of your heart.
Treatment: Improve your heart health by lowering your cholesterol and consuming less salt and sodium-based products. You might also want to up your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, so buy more nuts, fish and flaxseed.
Cheeks
Cause: Poor respiratory health is a common cause of cheek acne. Like the nose, they also just get dirty. How often do you hold your phone to your cheek? How often do you actually clean it?
Treatment: Wipe down your phone every night. Stop smoking. Fresh air will do wonders for your lungs, so try to make a habit out of morning walks so your skin can soak up the wind without dirt or makeup as a barrier.
Jawline
Cause: This area is a hot spot for “hormonal” acne. Women may notice it at certain times of the month, and men may find that their spots wax and wane depending on their testosterone levels.
Treatment: Talk to your doctor about regulating your hormones. For example, you might change birth control pills or take testosterone supplements to improve your body’s internal processes.
These are just a few ways to use facemapping to your advantage while treating acne. Good luck! Remember to clean your phone!
