Basically, the Chinese believe that the face isa map of the body, and any unbalance or illness inside will show up on the face in forms of breakouts, redness, heat etc. It doesn’t necessarily mean that there is something wrong, just that there is disharmony within that particular organ. In the Western world the body is compartmentalised but the Chinese think of it as a whole, almost like an orchestra, meaning that if one ‘instrument’ is playing out of tune, then it will affect the whole sound – the face is seen as an indictor of this.
According to Eastern medicine, we have invisible energy flowing through us (chi) and meridians are different points throughout the body that connect this flow to keep it running smoothly (they are also the points that acupuncturists use). For a truly healthy energy, the chi must be able to flow freely through the meridian network and any blockages in between these points can cause a strain upon all the connected organs.
The Chinese also use the Five Elements and each has a corresponding face shape which tells the face reader that certain energies, talents, or possible health problems may be found in this person’s make up.
Wood – long face, long nose, broad forehead, narrow cheeks.
Personality: They seek challenges and will push themselves to the limit. Work well under pressure and admire novelty and skill. They love action and adventure and want to be the first, best and only. On the downside they are intolerant, impatient and volatile, and tend to have an addictive personality.
Fire – wider across the jaw and narrower at the top, pointed chin, pointed forehead.
Personality: Pursues excitement and delights in intimacy, intuitive, passionate, and charismatic. Loves sensationalism, drama and sentiment. Bad points would be anxiety and agitation, bizarre perceptions -fanciful ideas and can suffer from nerves and exhaustion.
Metal – oval face shape with wider cheekbones and often a pale complexion.
Personality: Very disciplined and structured, values virtue and discretion and likes to live according to these principles. They have very high standards and respect beauty and refinement. Negatives would be that they can be very different and detached, formal, autocratic and self-righteous.
Water – round, soft face with large eyes. Often dark hair and colouring.
Personality: Articulate and clever, self sufficient, critical and seeks knowledge. They like to remain enigmatic and anonymous. Downsides are they can be emotionally inaccessible and can feed isolation and loneliness. Can be unforgiving and suspicious.
Earth – distinct jaw line, sallow complexion and thickset body.
Personality: Wants to be needed, likes to be in charge but not in the limelight, very agreeable and accommodating and seeks harmony and security. On the bad side they can become over-protective and can over extend themselves, leaving them to often become lethargic and inert and can have unrealistic expectations so are often disappointed. They worry and can become obsessed by things and often full of self-doubt.
So, once you’ve determined your face shape and had a good look at where the disharmony is showing up on your face, you can now start reading the face as a map. My below descriptions are very basic (and the map I’ve used is Dermalogica’s so not an official Chinese Medicine one - apologies for my shading too!)…it really is interesting though and you can go into so much more detail than I have, so have a look around on the internet!
Zones 1 and 3 represent the digestion and bladder. If there is something permanent, such as a mole, on a specific area then this is seen as an inherent weakness, rather than something temporary that can be ‘fixed’. Deeper lines which aren’t simply expression lines suggest a long term problem. Shorter term problems in this area are breakouts, pigmentation etc which suggests that perhaps there is a bladder infection or a problem with digestion which can be solved. If this area is very dry then it suggests that the bladder is overworked and you should drink more water.
Zone 2 is the liver. This is also known as the ‘wine and dine’ area and often things can show up here if you have been overindulging in rich food and drink. Breakouts etc can also occur here if you eat late and night which can overwork your liver as it slows down at around 8pm, or it could be too much animal fat or dairy produce which the liver finds hard to digest. A deep line down this area can really suggest long-term overindulgence or damage to the liver.
Zones 4 and 10 (ears) represent the kidneys. If your ears are redder than the skin on your face, then this can represent you overworking your adrenal glands which work very closely with the kidneys.
Zones 5 and 9 are the lungs, gums and teeth. Either side of the nose represents the lungs, and if these feel puffy, it means the lungs aren’t happy which may suggest allergies or a cold. You will also find that smokers often have a deep line by the nose and puffiness either side. The gums and teeth are the outside part of the cheek and things such as persistent breakouts in this area are a good indicator that you should visit the dentist! Redness, puffiness and breakouts around the nostrils and lower cheek can also indicate too many dairy products which produce mucus and congestion in the lungs. You may be on the verge of a bronchial infection if this area suddenly becomes red and dry.
Zones 6 and 8 (the eyes) are the kidneys again as well as the liver. Any imbalance in this area means you are working too hard and not flushing the toxins out of your body, which is also why lack of sleep can cause the puffiness and dark circles here (although if it’s inherited it’s not the same), as your body needs rest to do this properly. Cutting down on caffeine and increasing water intake will help with this. If the area is dark brown and has a congested look, your liver could be stressed, possibly through pent-up frustration or rich food and alcohol. If this indication is combined with one-sided headaches, jaw tension and two vertical lines between the eyebrows you could find that fat and hormone metabolism are to blame. If the two vertical lines from the end of the eyebrows are combined with two smaller hook-shaped lines, this means that the gall bladder is also showing stress.
Zone 7 (the nose) represents the heart, and the upper lip is the reproductive area. Someone who has high blood pressure may find they have a redder nose, and a paler nose could indicate low blood pressure. Have you ever noticed people who drink too much have a very red nose?! The upper lip is also really indicative and things such as pigmentation here suggest hormone imbalances such as the pill or pregnancy.
The mouth is the stomach and intestines. The top lip shows the stomach and the bottom lip shows the colon. If the gap between the nose and chin is squashed then it may represent lower body problems while someone with thinner lips may be prone to constipation and bigger lips are the opposite. Dry lips can suggest a dry colon (nice!) as in constipation, however in the Western world we do need to consider things such as central heating and lip balm addictions (of which I am guilty!)
Zones 11 and 13 are the ovaries. This is where I have the majority of my skin problems, and it is always at ‘that time of the month’. The scary thing with this is that it can even indicate which side you’re ovulating from depending on where the breakouts are! If there are continual breakouts in this area though, rather than monthly, then it could be a sign of an ongoing problem.
Zone 12 represents the small intestine. A cleft in the chin can even indicate being more prone to piles! Problems here suggest there are issues getting rid of waste from the body and when you change your diet, this is often where breakouts can occur. If the chin is red and swollen, it may mean that there is a structural weakness in the organs, Candida or stuck energy in the abdomen.
Zone 14 is the area which represents the adrenal glands, and this also includes the jaw line. Again, I get breakouts along the jaw line when I’m stressed, and people also experience pigmentation in this area when they are overworked.
As Coco Chanel said, “we get the face we deserve” and that could not be more true than when looking at the effects of diet and lifestyle on the skin. You may or may not believe in this type of thing, but I feel there’s no harm in taking a closer look at where you are experiencing problems on the face, and changing for the better!
