Repeated breakouts on your face just means that you need to take better care of your skin, right? Wrong! Instep introduces you to the ancient Chinese art of ‘Mien Shiang’ or ‘face mapping’ – learn what’s going on in your body just by the location of those zits! Some people just get them on their chins; others have pimple-prone foreheads. When these nasty little buggers start popping up on a particular part of your face, it might be a sign of an underlying health problem. Instep zones in on your skin and health issues, and tells you how to go about making things right.

Zone 1 & 3: Forehead

Cause: Your digestive system is suffering.

Solutions:

• Your motto should be ‘early to bed and early to rise’. Your liver needs to rest to be ready for work the next day, so it’s good to relax, even if you’re not an early sleeper.

• Go easy on carbonated drinks and replace their intake with plenty of water to flush out toxins

• Not only should you try to eat healthy, but also don’t eat in a hurry. Chew your food thoroughly to aid digestion

• Keep a daily food diary to see if your pimples pop up after eating certain food groups like dairy products

• Check if shampoos, conditioners, and hair products are irritating your forehead skin

Zone 2: Between the eyebrows

Cause: Liver problems, caused by over consumption of rich foods, and possibly a food allergy (such as lactose intolerance).

Solutions:

• Greasy foods are an obvious no-no if there’s a perpetual presence of pimples in the middle of your forehead.

• This is also the zone where food allergies also show up first, so take a look at your ingredients.

• Do 30 minutes of light exercise every day and get adequate sleep so your liver can rest.

Zone 4 & 10: Ears and temples

Cause: Kidneys

Solutioans:

• More water and less coffee, tea and salt when possible.

• Reduce the amount of unhealthy fat in your diet; eat less processed food, junk food, and fast food

Zone 5 & 9: Cheeks

Cause: Respiratory distress caused by fine, broken capillaries or congestion due to smoking or allergies.

Solution:

• Increase your exposure to fresh air with long and regular walks.

Zone 6 & 8: The eyes

Cause: Your dark circles may be hereditary, but are made worse by dehydration and poor elimination.

Solution:

• Drink more water, of course!

Zone 7: Nose

Cause: Heart

Solutions:

• Try to reduce high blood pressure, replacing ‘bad’ fats with more fruits, vegetables, nuts and Omega-rich fish

• Consult your doctor if you have any further heart-related concerns.

• The nose is full of dilated pores so make sure your make-up brushes and anything that you bring close to your face are kept clean.

Zone 11 & 13: Sides of chin

Cause: Breakouts or unusual hair growth can indicate hormonal imbalance, possibly caused by extreme stress, especially during a certain time of the month.

Solutions:

• Get your hormones checked for imbalances and take omega-3s to help regulate hormones

• Reduce stress as much as possible (yoga, meditating, massage, listening to music, writing in a journal, etc.)

• Check toothpaste, mouthwash, and chapsticks for possible irritants

• Drink spearmint tea

Zone 12: Chin

Cause: Heavy eating

Solution:

• Consider a detox or adding more fibre to your diet and exercise to routine to help with digestion.

So the next time you break out, look to your face map: your body may be trying to tell you something. However, it is always best to see your doctor before jumping to any conclusions – just because you break out on your nose doesn’t always mean you have a bad heart!

- Mehreen Hasan