What is your face telling you?

Location! Location! Location! You can learn a lot about your overall health by face mapping your acne….

We all agree the your acne seems to pop up in the same areas with each breakout. According to an ancient Ayurvedic technique called face mapping, the location of your acne may have something to do with what's happening inside your body.

If you consistently break out on your jaw or chin...

It might mean: Your hormones are out of whack

These areas are the most difficult to clear up. Hormones can over-stimulate the oil glands and clog pores where the acne bacteria grow. A hormone-related breakout might also occur about 7 to 10 days before a woman's menstal cycle.

You can thank your hormones.

Acne can be triggered by the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause, or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). If you’ve experienced cystic acne before, you know how painful and tender it can be. Getting your hormones checked for imbalances is a good idea if this is a persistent problem.

Your dermatologist may recommend:

Birth control pills
Spironolactone
An oral or topical antibiotic

If you break out near the edges of your face...

It might mean: Your beauty products are clogging your pores

Though it could fall into the hormonal acne category, it is likely to be irritations and clogging from hair products, skin care and makeup that contain oils and chemicals that will clog or irritate the pores.

Your dermatologist may recommend:

Switching you haircare and skin care products.
Look into the product ingrediants for frangrances and chemicals that may irritate

If you get blemishes on your cheeks...

It might mean: You're eating too much sugar

Acne in the cheek area can be a sign of high sugar consumption or toxins from the environment. Cleaning up your diet and limiting your intake of the sweet stuff may help cheek breakouts clear up. Tiny bits of smoke, soot, and dirt in the air can infiltrate all the way into the deeper layers of the epidermis, clogging pores and causing dehydration.

While air pollution can be hard to avoid, it’s essential to wash your face at the end of the day to remove acne-causing buildup. Keeping your phone and pillow cases clean helps to reduce acne in this area, too – you don’t want to press dirt, bacteria, and dead skin cells into your face!

When you wash your pillow cases, I recommend using a scent-free laundry detergent to avoid the possibility of irritating your skin.

If you get flare-ups in the central forehead area...

It might mean: Digestive and bladder

Pimples here are often linked to the digestive system, indicating that your body is having a hard time breaking down certain foods. There is also a connection to your bladder showing you may be dehydrated.

They are often caused by:

Stress
Lack of sleep
Poor diet
Dehydration

Cutting back on soda and carbonated beverages is a great step towards reducing acne in this region. Try drinking green tea instead – it’s full of good-for-you antioxidants! Consistent forehead breakouts are worth bringing up with your doctor.

If your acne is between the eyebrows

It might mean: Liver

Breakouts in this area can be caused by:

Eating sugary and greasy processed foods
Drinking alcohol
Food allergies and intolerances

Foods high in fat inhibit blood flow and circulation and lead to bloating. Sugar can create inflammation and lead to redness and blemishes. Alcohol creates inflammation in your skin and can be dehydrating. It also decreases your body’s level of vitamin A, a powerful natural antioxidant that helps cell turnover and renewal.

You can combat acne between your eyebrows by adopting a healthy diet. Try and pick lighter foods, like cucumbers and watermelon, and avoid “rich” foods made with lots of butter (think baked goods and casseroles).

Breakouts above the eyebrows

It might mean: Immune System

This area is directly correlated to your immune system. Alternately, breakouts could pop up here when you’re sick – or about to be sick.