At one point in our lives we experienced the teenage associated phenomena of acne. Some may have had extremely serious cases, while others might have been a little milder. Acne may arise at different times in a person’s life and at different intervals. Have you ever wondered why? Taz Bhatia, M.D. (2009), expressed that the skin, more importantly the face, tells a story about our health. She also expressed that depending on where you find acne or your skin (face), may be used as a road map to determine an underlying issue in your body; “face mapping”. The most common places where acne can be used as a tell-tale of problems are the forehead, chin, cheeks, T-zone, backs, arms and thighs.
Annmarie Skin Care (2018) outlined the possible meanings of the different acnes flares in a recently written article. The article depicted the following that is summarized in a table format:
| Location of Acne | Associated Body Area | Possible Root Cause |
| Forehead | Digestive System | Difficulty breaking down certain foods |
| Cheeks | Respiratory System | Pollution/Allergies |
| T-Zone | Liver | Alcohol/Fatty Foods |
| Nose | Heart | High/Low blood pressure |
| Chin | Hormone | Hormone imbalance (frequent to women that are menstruating) |
In an article released by Healthline (2018), they explored various areas of the face and the possibilities of the reason they occurred. The article revealed the following:
- Acne surrounding the hairline on your forehead also shares the name “pomade acne.” Pomades are in thick, often mineral oil-based hair products. This ingredient keeps the natural oil or sebum in our hair follicles from exiting. That blockage is what creates a pimple.
- Acne appearing in the cheek area may be a result of traces of E. coli and other bacteria on your phone. When hold your phone to your face the bacteria spreads to your skin, potentially causing more acne. Persistent acne on one side of your faces tends to be due to dirty phones, pillowcases, and other habits like touching your face with dirty hands.
- Chin and jawline acne is often caused by fluctuations in hormones, which means a disruption with your endocrine system. It’s typically a result of excess androgens, which overstimulate the oil glands and clog pores.
- Breakouts in the T-zone area may be linked to high levels of stress, a lack of sleep or a combination of both.
Despite the overwhelming oasis of skin-care products out there, most of us can agree that blemishes can’t merely be wiped away with a very good cleanser or spot treatment. There are a number of factors that contribute to your acne, both inside your body and out. There a healthy and clean lifestyle is recommended to control the amount of acne one experiences during his or her lifetime. It however important to know what these acne may possible mean when they appear, how to treat/manage these outbreaks and how to reduce the frequency of the occurrence.
Annmarie Skin Care. (2018). Face Mapping: What Your Pimples are Trying to Tell You. Available at: https://www.annmariegianni.com/face-mapping/
Healthline. (2018). What Acne Spots on Your Face Mean, According to Science. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/pimple-acne-face-map#chin-and-jawline
