Have you ever heard of face mapping?  Have you ever had a small little pimple break out on your face?  Maybe one that keeps coming back in the same spot?  Or, your getting a lot of breakout on a few spots on your face?  Maybe a repeat or return pimple? I’m creating this post to give you tips for breakout and ideas as to what could be causing them.  I’ll explain face mapping and breakdown different areas of you face along with the organs those areas are connected to.

What is face mapping?

When I was studying in my esthetician course on the island of Maui we had a very thorough education.   Being we were on the island there is a huge Asian influence we were taught a few more things stemming from the Asian cultures.  There are a lot of Japanese or Japanese Hawaiians living on the island  as Japan is 5 hours away from Hawaii.  So a lot of people had migrated over from Japan and mixed with the Hawaiians and the Hawaiian culture.  That being said we actually learned that face mapping came from traditional Chinese medicine.  I wanted to point out the Japanese Hawaiians because the whole island has an Asian approach to doing things.  Basically the concept of face mapping is like this.  Your face tells a story.  There are points on your face that are connected to your internal organs or areas of the internal body. If something could be going on internally with an organ it can show up on your face as a pimple or breakout.  Sometimes you could just be getting red patches that could be surface dryness but can also be stemming from something internal.

Example:  The nose point would be connected to your lungs, there are two spots by the mouth and they are connected to the small and large intestine.  There are the areas on the face that always break out when you are stressed and there is the hormonal area.  I will draw a map of the face with the points I learned and these have been proven time and time again in my career and when I mention an area the person can put the break out to a reason that can be affecting the internal body.

The Map

Would like to note here this is the map I learned from.  If you goggle face mapping or look up other articles different face maps can represent the areas different.  I also have had that happen with reflexology of the hands and feet.  You can take into account that nothing is set in stone but this is a general guide.  I feel confident to share this map as through the years I have seen the connection of these points on the face and this is what I have seen while working matches closely with results from clients and myself.

As you can see on the map the different points on the face and how they relate to the internal organs.  Essentially the idea is if you had a break out and it was around your nostrils your lungs are being exposed to something and it is coming out on your skin.    So the two spots next to the nostrils would be considered your lung points.  The two points next to the corners of your mouth would be considered your digestion.  Within the lines of digestion are your small and large intestines. Sometimes you can get breakout along the small and large intestine lines if your eating something your intestines cannot handle.

Off to the side of either of the intestine lines is your hormonal breakout.  Normally you can get a pimple in that area when you are either ovulating or getting ready to have your period.  Its just a large dose of hormones and the excess is coming out on the skin.  Anytime you get a pimple right on the jaw bone but underneath it that area represents stress. Hands down I see it on my own face if I get stressed.  There is the spot right under your nose above your lip that represents the uterus.  If something is going on internally in your uterine area or reproductive organs you may get a pimple right in the middle of the upper lip.  The general area that I know from experience if something is going on in your stomach you can have break out on the forehead and also the cheeks.

What to do about it

Just be informed.  I am explaining this concept to bring an awareness as to why you could be breaking out.  I can say from my own experience when I was in manicure school and we were working with acrylic,  I had pimples many times next to my nostrils.  I know it was from breathing in the acrylic chemicals.  My body was not used to the strong chemical and I was being affected by it.

I have learned that a hormonal pimple is not always a pimple and does not pop the same as a pimple.  If that’s the case it is actually better to leave the bump alone and let it heal itself. You can know you have a hormonal pimple by the location on your face and it usually is a more spread out bump.

If you have little pimples on the intestinal line then that can be a food allergy.  You want to pay attention to what you ate the night before or a day before to see why you can have little breakouts on that area of your face.  I know that I am allergic to seaweed and every time after I have eaten say a sushi veggie roll the next day I will always have tiny little bumps on the intestinal line.  That is my body reacting to the food and sending it out through my pores.

Id you have a pimple in the uterus area something can be going on with your uterus.  But also you can just have a hormonal thing going on and if your ovulating or getting ready to have your period you can get a pimple in that area.

Also the stress pimple on the jaw line.  If you get a big pimple right around the jaw line it is in the stress area or zone of your face.  You can almost check in with yourself and see if you have a stressful event coming up or something going on that is stressful.  A pimple on the bottom of the face right around the jaw bone area usually represents stress.

Now the area which I marked on both cheeks and the forehead, that area would mainly represent your stomach.  What ends up happening is if you are allergic to a food or you are consuming something that your digestion doesn’t handle well it can manifest on your face in the cheeks and forehead.  I know when I was consuming almonds and was allergic to them my whole forehead had a lot of breakout.  It some time before I put it together that what I was consuming  I was allergic to and my skin was definitely showing me.

Can I just throw this out there?  Not always the case, but sometimes when people part-take in a recreational drug that gives you, let’s say the munchies it can cause a lot of break out on the cheeks and forehead.  Sometimes people do not realize they are allergic to that said drug and the body is detoxing it as best as it can and as fast as it can.  Hence why the breakout on the cheeks and forehead.  It is a larger surface area and can help to get the toxins out.  Not always the case but something to think about.  It doesn’t even have to be a drug that gives you the munchies you could also be taking prescription drugs and your body can react to it with a little break out here and there.

Another area I want to add that is not drawn on the map is the liver.  Under your eyes on the inner corner represents the liver.  Yes you could have no sleep and have dark circles.  We all can get that.  However, if you have puffy eyes and a lot of dark color under your eyes this area represents your liver.  Ask yourself are you consuming something your body cannot handle?  If you drink a lot of wine are your eyes dark underneath the next day?  Sometimes people are allergic to pasta and they get dark circles under their eyes.  Also believe it or not burning scented candles can cause puffy eyes and dark circles.  Fragrances can be taxing on the liver and it will show on your face.  Also again prescription meds affect your liver.

Knowledge is Power

I just want to bring an awareness to this topic.  The more you know the more you can try and heal your skin.  Sometimes it starts on the inside.  Once in awhile you have a lifestyle change and start breaking out and you cannot figure out what is causing it.  Instead of running to get an anti acne cover or a new cleanser maybe just think about any recent lifestyle changes and what could be causing it?

Another note is the skin on your body.  Sometimes you may get a pimple on the back or arm or maybe even the buttocks.  Nine times out of ten that is an ingrown hair and it has developed due to friction and then causes the hair to grown into the skin and a little pus to form around where the hair is growing in.  I always suggest to pop and get the pus out.  Why?  If you don’t open the pustule and get air into it the hair follicle will keep growing internally.  Have you ever had an ingrown hair and you can take a needle to it and get it out and it is nice and tight curls and really long?  Well I have had that happen and I can honestly say it is better to pop and remove them on the body then to let them stay growing.  Just a nice poke with a sterile needle and then some alcohol after to clean the skin.  But you want to look for the hair and maybe even use a nice sharp tweezers to try and get the ingrown hair out.  I always say if you don’t get the ingrown hair out it will stay in your skin and keep growing.

Conclusion

Now that you have learned the concept of face mapping you have an ability to spot other issues going on in the body.  If you do have a breakout or pimple I always say first drink a lot of water.  Dehydrated skin is dry skin and tight skin.  The lymphatic system is always cleaning from behind the skin and the more water you drink the more it aids your system to flush out toxins.  So water water and more water is always the first step.  Second you now have a new awareness and maybe you cannot handle certain foods in your body.  Again water water water as that helps get things moving out that shouldn’t be in the body.  Also consider your surroundings and environment.  If your breaking out by the nostrils maybe there is mold in a work place or home or place you frequent and your body is letting you know.  Or you take a weekend trip to a city with lots of pollution and you get a pimple by the nose point?

Face mapping is just another way to be in tune with your body and aware of what is going on.  Having this tool can help you to solve little issues you or a family member may not be aware of.  If someone says to you, “I don’t know why, but I keep breaking out in this spot.”  You now have a tool to help them or suggest to them maybe something is going on.  Leave me a comment if this has helped you or given you a new light on breakouts on your face.  Would love to know how you find this post helpful in your skincare journey.