Facial Diagnosis

Q: A few years ago I attended one of your workshops. I remember you mentioned that different areas of the face are related to different organs. Is that correct and can you give me more information?

A: Yes, different areas of the face can definitely give one clues to how one’s body is working internally. This data is based on Oriental medicine and has been very accurate and helpful in my practice over the years.

An example is that the cheeks are related to one’s lungs. Changes especially in the color of one’s cheeks are clues to the lungs’ status. I have seen many times that reddened cheeks are a sign that the lungs are inflamed. This can occur for example after someone is exposed to second-hand smoke, or perhaps if they have an inhalant allergy. In general, pale cheeks indicate a weakened lung condition, while pimples on the cheeks can indicate fatty or mucous deposits in the lungs. I have seen numerous instances, including my own face, where correctly treating the lungs can completely resolve serious cases of acne on the cheeks.

A lot of people have one or more vertical creases between their eyebrows. This area reflects difficulty in the liver. The liver does anywhere between 300-1000 jobs in the body (depending on which reference book you check), including detoxification of harmful chemicals and drugs. Anything that one can do to improve the liver’s function can enhance a lot of areas of one’s health. And I’ve even seen the depth of the creases decrease as the liver improves.

The tip of the nose relates to the heart and different conditions of the heart can be detected by observing this area. The most common observation is enlargement of the tip of the nose, which is said to correlate with enlargement of the heart. I once observed this in a 12-year-old girl who was a friend of our family. After speaking to her mother and then examining the girl, I found that her heart was the priority organ in distress. After diagnosing and then correcting some allergies that were affecting her heart, the irregular heart beats that she told me she was having were gone and the swelling in the tip of her nose diminished fully. She was definitely happy about her improved appearance and she and her mom were both thrilled to have her heart functioning better again.

Another common problem is puffiness under the eyes, sometimes called eye bags. Contrary to the unusual “solutions” promoted in many women’s magazines, the true solution is in determining what is causing the kidneys to malfunction and then correcting it. If the puffiness has been there a long time the skin may become very stretched. In this case even after the kidneys improve and the puffiness is gone, one is left with very saggy under-eye skin. As with all body problems the sooner the puffiness is addressed, the better.

Another area that people frequently have trouble with is their lips. This can give them data regarding how portions of their digestive system are functioning. The upper lip is related to the stomach. The inner portion of the lower lip is related to the small intestine, and the outer portion of the lower lip is related to the large intestine. The corners of the mouth relate to the duodenum, which is the upper portion of the small intestine. Some changes to note on the lips are differences in coloration, puffiness or protrusion, chapping or peeling, and sores. These can relate to expansion of the involved internal organ, fatty deposit accumulation, improper water intake or utilization, the possible development of ulcers, or sometimes a vitamin deficiency or imbalance.

I had a patient who had sores on his lips for a few weeks, knew the data regarding their relation to the digestive system, realized that he was also having a lot of gas, spotted that it all started when he began eating tons of corn chips, (they were on sale J), stopped eating the corn chips, and the lips healed within 24 hours. Pretty cool, huh!?!

The area of the chin under the lower lip is correlated with the reproductive organs. Many women have pimples in this area at the time of their period and that can be indicative of an imbalance of some type in their reproductive system.

In addition to the lower lip, the intestines are also represented across the middle portion of the forehead. The upper portion of the forehead is related to the bladder. Lines or ridges in the forehead can indicate trouble in these organs.

A common observation in many people’s faces is darkness under the eyes. In my experience this primarily reflects some type of toxicity affecting the intestines and/or kidneys. This can be due to undetected allergies, parasite infestation and/or metal toxicity to name a few.

One thing to be aware of with all of these correlations is that when you start to improve your diet, get proper treatment, and take correct supplements your body will hopefully begin to detoxify. As this happens you may have pimples, rashes, sores, etc. on different areas of your face as your body is eliminating previously stored toxins. Until you become able to determine when a skin reaction is due to an imbalance or a detoxification, it is a good idea to come in for a quick check to determine what’s going on and how best to proceed.

If you have any questions on this data, or any other health matter, give me a call at my office: (727) 449-0121. I’d be happy to talk with you.