What Your Face Says About Your Health

Posted Tuesday January 9th, 2018

In ACNE, DOCTOR SAYS, FILLERS, NEWEST, PIGMENTATION, REDNESS

The East believes that your face is your fortune. Change your face, and you alter your fortune. Improve your facial landscape, and life’s doors may just open in your favour. Traditional Chinese physicians also believe that just by looking at your face, one can gauge your general health and life expectancy. So what signals is your face sending out about your well-being?

1. THE SKINNY BEAN

Likely reasons: Over-exercise can lead to you looking tired, drawn and gaunt. When you exercise too much you prevent your facial skin from getting the necessary amount of oxygen.

Too much Dieting may make you look too skeletal for your frame. Losing too much fat can lead to loss of volume in your face, which shows up as deflated cheeks and sunken eyes. Not a good look. “When my patients lose too much weight, they end up with saggy skin because they lose so much volume on their faces, much like that of a deflated balloon”, says Dr Low Chai Ling, medical director of SW1 Clinic.

Fix: Eating healthy is key. Exercise in moderate and focus not only on cardiovascular fat-burning workouts, but add strength training and muscle toning reps to your fitness regime.

Treat: Volume High Definition Lift is the go-to quick fix for Dr Low’s high-powered clientele looking to replenish and restore gaunt, sunken faces without tell tale signs of “whodunnit”. With its natural volumizing effects that acts instantly to give you youthful cheekbones when you had none a minute ago, no wonder this sell-out natural facial filler treatment is often booked out for months in advance.

American actress Mena Suvari, 36, has a square face shape, which is characterised by a wide hair and jaw line

2. THE PLUMP LUMP

Likely reasons: High levels of stress can lead to hormonal imbalances that manifests as facial swelling and a plunge in your general well-being.

Alcohol may be fine in moderation but once you step over the line, it’s likely to do more harm than good in the long run. It negatively affects the process of collagen production, making facial skin become flaccid. Not to mention the broken capillaries, facial flushing and other unattractive facial signs that come with it.

Fix: Reduce stress levels with some clever techniques. Meditation even for as short as 5 minutes a day has been shown to drastically drop stress levels in as short as a week.

Switch from stronger tipple to lighter mixes when imbibing in cocktails with your mates. Stipulate at least two alcohol-free days a week, enough time for your liver to detox fully.

Treat: Tightening the skin with FDA approved Ulthera has been shown to leave face looking visibly younger and in some cases, slimmer around the lower jawline. Ulthera’s deep focused ultrasound targets deep collagen, coaxing them to firmer heights in just one session. “I find that patients with heavy set faces do best with Ulthera, as this deep skin lifting therapy not only tightens but also slenderizes faces” says Dr Kenneth Lee. “Combine it with a touch of BOTOX at the jawline and the effect can be stunning” he adds.

3. THE WRINKLED PRUNE

Likely reasons: The sun may cloak itself as fun time but in the long run, its true colours will show as solar elastosis or deep skin damage. If your skin resembles a leather handbag, then you’ve only got the sun to blame.

Fix: A good sunscreen is a must. Whether you prefer it slathered on its own, or incorporated into your makeup as a SPF factor, you must keep your skin protected at all times, even on cloudy days.Unfortunately not all sunscreens are made the same, choose one that shields both UVA and UVB and goes the distance without clogging skin.

Read more: Ways to Save Your Neck

4. THE PARCHED PAPER

Likely reasons: Dry skin not only looks bad, it also ages much faster. Poor nutrition is one of the key reason why skin looks and stay dehydrated. If you lack vitamins and minerals, your skin will not be able to build essential collagen that keeps your skin strong, supple and hydrated.

Fix: Make sure you consume fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors, and soon you’ll notice visible results on your skin. Make sure you take in enough water daily. Dehydration can also be reflected on your skin.

Treat: One good way to rehydrate skin is through a clever home care regime. Use organic oils on your skin such as rosehip or argan oils, touted to have a spectrum of regenerating and free radical fighting benefits.

5. RED TOMATO

Drinking too much coffee can cause irritated and red skin. Caffeine dehydrates the cells, causing inflammation and dryness. Also, if you work at night and sleep during the day, you may lack vitamin D because you don’t expose your skin to the sun regularly.

Fix: Cut down on your caffeine consumption, or replace coffee with another tasty drink. To get enough vitamin D, try to sunbathe every day — but don’t forget to use sunscreen.

Treat: A redness-busting therapy that has garnered a loyal following amongst the jetset is Harmony Skin program. This skin restoring, red-neutralising program is a godsend to fix broken capillaries, rid flushing and send active acne packing for good.

6. PANDA WANDA

If you suffer from insomnia and have an unhealthy diet, you’ll find it harder to fight those dark circles under your eyes. Tobacco and alcohol consumption also make a negative contribution to puffy eyes.

Fix: You should get enough sleep (approximately 8 hours), and get rid of your bad habits. Exercise and a well-balanced diet will do wonders for tired skin.

Treat:This is one area where eye creams don’t help, no matter what the ads say. The only thing we have found that works is Eye Illuminator program that combines undereye Revitalift fillers, special fillers designed to increase skin health and thickness of the periorbital skin and Laser toning. In combination they do wonders to ease darkness and fill out depressions and lines. Regular sessions may even do wonders in camouflaging unsightly eyebags and bulges for a smooth eye-cheek transition so coveted by youth.

7. THE SPOTTY DOTTY

If your diet is rich in fats and sugars, it may be the reason for your acne problem. Sometimes hormonal changes are to blame.

Fix: But no matter what the cause is, always keep your face clean and detoxify your skin from the inside by eating healthy food. Cut down on sugars, found in processed foods and sodas and keep your diet rich in food from natural sources.

Treat: The three pillars of acne treatment are acne creams, anti-acne lasers such as the FDA approved Lasers such as Vbeam, Exilis and medicines. The most successful options are usually treatment combos which is why Purity Program which features dual modality laser options usually have higher success rates in a shorter time. Whichever option you choose, be sure you discuss the pros and cons with your doctor before embarking on any of the treatments.