What your face says about Your Health

We've all wondered whether we are healthy or whether there is some underlying problems with our health that we don't know about.  One of the most obvious places to check your health would be your face.

Your face, you say?  Are you crazy, you say?  The times that you look into the mirror could easily show you some health facts about yourself too.

So stand infront of that mirror, and check out a few of these facts.

1)  Brows
What’s healthy?  Full, even and bushy (when left to their own devices!). 
What’s not?  Thinning brows – especially at the ends.  Hair loss here can indicate a thyroid problem.
What to do?  If you’re worried (and thinning is accompanied by brittle hair, muscle pain or weight gain/loss), your GP can perform a thyroid function check – a quick blood test that assesses your hormone levels.

 2)  Lips
What’s healthy?  Smooth lips. 
What’s not?  Lips that are temporarily cracked or dry can indicate dehydration. 
What to do?  If cracks at the corners of your mouth don’t heal after a month, see your GP, as it may be a sign of an iron or B vitamin deficiency.  You might need a cream to clear up an infection that’s causing the cracks, and if you have other signs of deficiency, you may have a blood test to check your vitamin levels.  Iron is found in red meat, lentils, spinach and soya beans, and vitamin C helps its absorption.  B vitamins are found in dairy and leafy veg.

3)  Eyes
What’s healthy?  Bright whites and comfortable blinking (visible blood vessels at the edges are fine). 
What’s not?  "Runny eyes can indicate an infection – if it feels watery, it could be a virus, and is best treated with cold compresses and paracetamol; if it’s sticky, it could be bacterial, which may need antibiotics,” says Larry Benjamin, vice president of The Royal College of Ophthalmologists.  What to do?  Experts agree that the most important thing is an eye test every two years.  Yes, two.  So if you haven’t had one since school, book!  “Most eye diseases can only be seen with specialist equipment that looks at the back of the eye,” says Benjamin.

4)  Tongue
What’s healthy?  Pink and clean with lots of super-small bumps. 
What’s not?  A white coating, which can be a sign of thrush.  Ulcers are normal, particularly if you accidentally bite your tongue, are on your period or have just given up smoking. 
What to do?  See your doctor if an ulcer doesn’t clear up after three weeks.  It may be a sign of an underlying issue, like a vitamin deficiency or immune-system problems.

5)  Skin
What’s healthy?  Minor but regular monthly breakouts on your chin (thanks, hormones!). 
What’s not?  "Random spots anywhere from the nose down,” says dermatologist Dr Howard Murad.  “These are due to high stress levels and are found here because this area is linked to your adrenal glands, which release stress hormones.” 
What to do?  To clear spot-prone skin, eat vitamin A-rich foods, like apricots, mangoes and sweet potatoes.  “Acne occurs when skin produces too many cells in its outer layer; vitamin A helps prevent this overproduction,” says Dr Murad.


I was so relieved when I did this research, because I was getting random spots at the bottom half of my face and at one point I believed that I had adult acne!  However, that was untrue and it was just a lack of Vitamin A-rich foods.  My skin has really started to clear up, and I'm feeling a lot more confident walking outside. 

Hope these facts have helped you today.

xoxo,
Angelique