What Your Acne Is Trying to Tell You

Just as the lines on your palms could be a window into your future, your breakouts could give you a look at what's going on inside your body. We're referring to the concept of face mapping, a practice that was used in ancient Chinese medicine that correlates areas of the face with internal organs. We asked Dr. Michael Shapiro, medical director and founder of Vanguard Dermatology, to decode the most common areas for acne, what could be causing it, and how to fix it from the inside out.

 Chin

The Cause: Hormones, stress, gynecological issues, and dirty hands can all be culprits to breakouts on your chin.

The Fix: Taking Omega-3 vitamins can help keep hormones in balance and ease breakouts, while sipping on spearmint tea can ease stress. If acne worsens, consider talking to your gynecologist about your hormone levels. Also, remember to keep your hands clean and away from your face to keep acne-causing bacteria from being transferred.



 Ears
The Cause: Your ears are directly related to your kidneys. If your kidneys aren't functioning properly or they're not receiving enough nutrients or water, you'll be able to tell by large, persistent pimples on your ears.

The Fix: A good amount of water should do the trick along with watching your caffeine and salt intake.

 Forehead

The Cause: Breakouts on your forehead can be caused by a number of things including digestive problems, small intestine issues, liver issues, and even hair products.

The Fix: Be sure to drink lots of water throughout the day to flush out toxins that could be lingering. When switching up your hair products, make sure to add just one at a time so you'll know the culprit if your skin starts to react.

 Temples and Eyebrows

The Cause: Acne flare ups around the eyes can be due to poor circulation, gallbladder problems, high-fat diets, processed foods, or alcohol.

The Fix: When washing your face be sure to give your skin a little massage, focusing on the area around your eyes, to increase blood flow. As always, try to balance bad habits with good ones like eating your fruits and veggies and drinking lots of water to combat the fun stuff like snacking and drinking.


 Nose

The Cause: Constipation, bloating, gastrointestinal imbalance, and indigestion can all be reasons your nose is seeing bumps.

The Fix: Watch your intake of red meat and spicy foods to help with these stomach-related issues. The nose is also home to many dilated pores, so be sure to exfoliate regularly to clear out trapped bacteria.


 Cheeks
The Cause: Because your cheeks are linked to your lungs, smokers often experience acne here. For that same reason, you can also see acne on your cheeks if you're breathing in a lot of polluted air. Other reasons include dirty cell phones and pillowcases.

The Fix: Step one: Stop smoking (duh). And change your pillowcases a couple times a week to prevent bacteria buildup. Disinfect your cell phone as often as possible and try not to let the screen touch your face.

 Mouth and Lips

The Cause: Your mouth and lips are linked to the liver so spicy or fried foods can cause a flare-up. You could also be experiencing a reaction to certain toothpastes.

The Fix: A consistent diet of fruits and vegetables keeps the liver running smoothly. Keep track when using a new toothpaste to see if it corresponds with when your acne began.