How your face can decode your health
Take a good look in the mirror.
For many of us, when we feel a little under the weather, or simply not ourselves, we brush it off as being tired, stressed or hungry. While that may sometimes be the case, there can be underlying issues that are making you feel lacklustre.
As luck would have it, nature has gifted us with a face that can do more than express emotions. There are certain things, such a discoloration, breakouts or rashes, that appear on our face as a way for our body to tell us what’s wrong with it. If you’re not feeling one hundred per cent today, maybe it’s time to take a good look in the mirror and use your face to decode your health.
1. Look at your eyes
- If you pull your lower eyelid down the inside layer should be a vibrant red colour. If it’s very pale pink or yellow it could indicate an iron deficiency.
- If it doesn’t matter how much sleep you get, you’re still carrying dark bags under your eyes, it could be a sign of food sensitivity. Dark circles under the eyes can also indicate seasonal allergies, dehydration, iron deficiency and excess salt consumption.
- Yellowish eyeballs can be a sign of jaundice, which is when you have too much of a waste product produced by your body when it breaks down red blood cells. It can indicate problems with the liver, gallbladder, pancreas or viral infections.
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2. Scrutinize your skin
- If you’re breaking out with pimples, take note of where they are. On the forehead may mean the products your using are clogging your pores. However, if it’s on your cheeks it could indicate some digestive issues. Acne on the jawline suggests a hormonal imbalance.
- Excess hair on your jawline and top lip are signs of a hormone imbalance.
- Dry, flaky or suddenly-wrinkled skin suggest your diet is lacking essential fatty acids such as fish, nuts, seeds and avocado.
- If your skin looks a little like crepe then you need to increase your water intake.
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3. Examine your eyebrows
- Eyebrows that are unusually long or wiry indicate exhausted adrenal glands so you might need to make some lifestyle changes to reduce stress.
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4. Inspect your mouth
- Cracking at the sides of the mouth are signs of a vitamin B2 deficiency.
- Gums that bleed excessively after flossing might mean you have a vitamin C deficiency.
- Cracked lips can be a sign of dehydration or an adverse reaction to ew medication.
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5. Monitor your moles
- Moles that are asymmetrical, have jagged borders, uneven colour, are bigger than a pea or have changed recently can be signs of skin cancer.
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6. Check out your cheeks
- An unexplained rash that covers both cheeks in the shape of a butterfly may be a sign of the immune disease lupus, which is usually accompanied by fever, aching and stiff joints and fingers that turn blue in the cold.
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Laura Barry
Laura Barry is a writer, bookworm and interior design enthusiast with a love for reporting on all things homes and lifestyle. When not tapping away at her keyboard, Laura can be found making endless cups of tea or perusing the shelves of Sydney’s many bookstores.
