What Your Face Can Tell You About Your Health

You can glean valuable information simply by looking at someone’s face. Whether it’s facial expressions to indicate happiness or sadness or changes in skin color and texture to indicate illness, the face can offer insights into how you’re feeling. In this blog, we talked to Whitney Crowe, M.D., a family medicine physician at INTEGRIS Health Medical Group Great Plains in Oklahoma City to explore what your face can tell you about your health.

The connection between your face and overall health

Facial cues alone may not provide conclusive insights to your health, but it can guide you in the right direction and help decide if it’s time to see a doctor.

The connection between the face and overall health is evidenced by various visible indicators. For example, changes in your complexion, skin texture or color can indicate underlying health conditions or environmental changes. Some of the most common illnesses or health issues that result in facial changes include hormonal imbalances, stress, poor circulation, allergies, poor hygiene and issues with gut health.

Depending on the area of the face affected, it can signal a potential link to areas of the body.

Here are a few examples:

• Forehead: Linked to digestive system and bladder
• Eyebrow region: Linked to liver health
• Ears: Linked to kidney health
• Cheeks: Linked to respiratory system and allergies
• Lips and mouth: Linked to digestive health
• Nose: Linked to heart and blood pressure
• Chin: Linked to stomach, small intestine and reproductive system

What to look for

Acne: The "T zone" of your face includes the forehead, nose and chin. This area has a higher concentration of sebaceous glands and produces more oil, which makes it more prone to acne and blackheads. Acne can be triggered by many issues, including stress, lack of sleep and gut imbalances. Some women also experience breakouts if they have hormonal abnormalities such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Bumps: Various skin conditions can cause tiny bumps to appear on the face. Keratosis pilaris, a condition that occurs when keratin builds up and blocks hair follicles, will appear as red or tan bumps on the cheeks. Dermatosis papulosa nigra is another skin condition that causes small dark brown to black spots on the face. In other cases, small yellowish deposits of cholesterol underneath the skin called xanthelasma can appear near the eyelids or nose. Xanthelasma is a sign you should have your cholesterol checked.

Bumpy, spotty or flushing redness: In most cases, these symptoms indicate rosacea, an inflammatory skin condition that causes redness and bumps on the nose, cheeks and forehead. Any condition that increases blood flow to the face, such as menopause or certain medications, can also cause skin flushing.

Butterfly rash: This type of distinct rash spreads across the cheeks and over the bridge of the nose. Typically, it appears in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease that causes skin inflammation.

Cracked lips: Dry, flakey lips are usually a sign of dehydration. Like other areas of the skin, dryness can occur when there isn’t an adequate amount of water. This can occur after a night of drinking, exercising without properly staying hydrated or when winter temperatures are cold and dry.

Dark circles: While many people associate circles under the eyes with a lack of sleep, it can be a sign of various medical conditions. Examples include a high-sodium diet that causes fluid retention, allergies that cause eyes to dilate and leak or a rare inflammatory disease called dermatomyositis. This disease affects the muscles and skin and can result in eyelid rashes or eye swelling.

Drooping eyelid: This condition, known as ptosis, can occur as a natural part of aging, but also may be a sign of underlying health conditions (myasthenia gravis or Horner syndrome) or more serious conditions such as a stroke or brain tumor.

Dry, itchy skin: This common issue can indicate anything from allergies or an infection to cold, dry weather or eczema. In general, the subtle differences associated with skin changes can help determine the cause. For example, an allergic reaction may cause a rash or skin that blisters or oozes, whereas eczema looks like scaly patches that crust over.

Eyebrow thinning: Hair follicles in the eyebrows need hormones to grow, and any condition that results in a decline in hormones will lead to thinning. For example, an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can cause eyebrows to thin at the ends. Skin conditions that produce inflammation, such as eczema or dermatitis, can also affect the ability of hair follicles to grow.

Forehead splotches: Some women may develop brown splotches on their forehead called melasma. This skin condition occurs when melanin, which causes the skin to darken. These changes are an early sign of pregnancy, as hormonal changes can lead to more melanin production. Birth control pills and thyroid disorders can also lead to forehead splotches.

Furrowed brows: This term describes horizontal lines that run horizontally across the forehead. Sometimes, this is due to natural aging. But other times, it occurs due to mental health factors (stress, anxiety and depression).

Hair in unusual places: Excessive facial hair, also known as hirsutism, occurs in women when there’s a hormonal imbalance. In people with PCOS, this can occur when the body produces too much testosterone, a male sex hormone that helps men develop physically.

Moles: A mole is a common skin growth that forms when pigmented cells accumulate. Typically, moles remain benign, but any new growth on your face or an existing mole that changes shape, size or color may indicate melanoma. This type of skin cancer is treatable, but it can spread to other parts of the body if it remains undetected.

Puffy eyes: Most often, puffy eyes occur due to eye allergies or an upper respiratory infection that causes swelling and inflammation. Fluid retention, such as due to a high-sodium diet, can also contribute to changes around the eyes. Other times, it could indicate a larger issue such as Graves’ disease (overactive thyroid). An increased production in thyroid hormone can cause fat and excess to accumulate around the eyes.

Saggy or wrinkly skin: Skin sagging is usually attributed to a loss of collagen and elastin, which is needed to keep skin firm. High levels of insulin in people who are diabetic can decrease collagen synthesis, leading to a loss in skin elasticity. Sagging facial skin can also be a sign of excessive exposure to UV light.

Sores: Mouth or facial sores usually are a sign of an infection, increased stress, hormonal changes or a vitamin deficiency. For example, people who are deficient in folic acid, zinc or vitamin B12 are more likely to experience mouth sores.

Twitching eyelids: Eyelid spasms can occur if you don’t eat enough foods with magnesium, as this nutrient helps regulate muscle and nerve function. It may also be a sign of blepharospasm, a condition that causes abnormal, involuntary blinking or spasms of the muscles around the eyes. 

Yellowish skin and eyes: Bile contains bilirubin, a yellowish pigment made during the breakdown of red blood cells. The liver then helps remove most of the bilirubin from the body through bile. Liver damage or a blockage in the liver can cause issues with the bilirubin processing, causing it to accumulate. High levels of bilirubin can lead to jaundice in the skin and eyes.

For more health and wellness content, visit the INTEGRIS Health For You blog.