What Your Breakouts Are Trying to Tell You

There is never a good time to have a breakout. Alright, it can be tolerated when it happens on a random rainy weekend and all you want to do is hibernate and watch the soap omnibuses anyway, but the worst ones always seem to occur when you can't stay in and hide. Breakouts are more annoying than saggy tights but they happen for a reason.

But when you understand what your breakout is trying to tell you, then you can treat the underlying issue.

And getting to know your skin and its ways is actually easier than you might think. Today we're going to translate what your body may be trying to tell you and how you can try to reduce breakouts in particular areas.

The first thing to learn is that different areas of your face are connected to different parts of your body. Using the Chinese face map concept, I'll explain further by using a numbered diagram of my own face.

• Area 1 and 3

These areas relate to the bladder and digestive system. If this is an area that you suffer break outs in frequently, drinking more water and eating more fiber may help.

• Area 2

The area in between your eyebrows relates to your liver. So if you've been on a boozy holiday, eating a lot of rich foods or if you simply haven't been minding yourself, you might break out in this area. Another reason for break outs here could be that you have a slight food allergy or diet intolerance.

• Area 4 and 10

Your ears are connected to the kidneys. If you break out around this area or if your ears often feel hot, it may be worth cutting out alcohol and caffeine, and also increasing water intake.

• Area 5 and 9

Cheeks are not just for pinching, they're the window to our lungs. If you're a smoker or have respiratory problems like asthma, you may find yourself breaking out or having general congestion in this area.

• Area 6 and 8

The eyes are also connected to our kidneys. If you find that circles under your eyes are getting darker, it may be a case that your body is struggling with the elimination process or that you need to drink a lot more water as dehydration has kicked in.

• Area 7

Breakouts or redness around the nose and upper lip can occur for a number of reasons, including heightened blood pressure and the early stages of rosacea. Congestion around the upper lip can also be from comedogenic lipsticks or liners.

• Area 11 and 13

Breakouts on the area running along the jaw line and up to the ears is hormonal - this area is connected to your ovaries. That is why you might find breakouts prior to or during the menstrual cycle.

• Area 12

Your chin is linked to the small intestine so when you get breakouts in this area, it can indicate a hormonal imbalance which could have been triggered by stress, diet, or food allergies.

• Area 14

This area is related to adrenal stress. Your adrenal glands make hormones and breakouts in this area means that your adrenal gland may not be working to its best ability. This can happen when people are under mental, physical or emotional stress.

Understanding the underlying issues that causes your skin to break out will help you address the exact issue at hand. And not only will you feel better, your skin will look better too.

Have you made any changes to your diet or lifestyle recently, and have seen a change in your skin?