Do You Have Dairy Face? - How Your Diet Could Be Causing Your Skin Issues
There are several schools of thought on the topic of food and how it affects your skin. Some say acne increases in direct proportion to the amount of chocolate you eat, some say there is no correlation, and Naturopath and skincare specialist Nigma Talib says the second a patient walks into her clinic she can immediately tell the sort of foods they eat just by checking the way their face is ageing.
The thinking is that your skin is related to your digestive health, so you might see certain parts of your face reacting to stress in your gut, depending on the types of food or drink you are intolerant to.
We'll leave it up to you to decide if, or how, her illustrations will affect your habits, but in case you wondered whether your coffee was causing your dark circles, or wine was flushing your cheeks, you might find her ideas interesting.
Characteristics to look out for...
Lines and wrinkles on the forehead, sagging under the eyes, gaunt look to the face, painful pustular spots all over the face, thinning of the skin, a grey/pasty white hue to the skin, thinner eyebrows.
Why?
Sugar causes glycation in your skin which basically destroys collagen, meaning it's less elastic and more prone to wrinkles.
It can disrupt the bacteria in your gut triggering puss-filled spots.
According to Face Mapping (an ancient idea that links parts of your face to organs in your body) your digestive tract is linked to your forehead so you'll see dry patches and spots there
Spikes in insulin can put pressure on adrenal glands which in part control brow growth, so you'll see thinning or sparse brows.
Characteristics to look out for...
Pronounced lines or redness between the eyes, droopy eyelids, enlarged pores, dehydrated skin with feathery lines across cheeks, reddish cheeks and nose, deep nasolabial folds.
Why?
Alcohol is dehydrating which worsens lines and wrinkles.
According to Face Mapping , the area between the brows is linked to liver health, so you'll see more lines here
Alcohol can cause capillaries to dilate resulting in flushed cheeks
Characteristics to look out for...
Puffy red cheeks, dark pigmentation patches or spots around chin.
Why?
An increase in inflammatory reactions in your body, caused by gluten, leads to bloated or flushed skin.
If you react to gluten your immune system reacts which affects the reproductive balance, leading to hormonal spots around the chin specifically.
Characteristics to look out for...
Swollen eyelids, bags and dark circles under eyes, small white spots and bumps on the chin.
Why?
A common lactose intolerance can also affect the immune system leading to more inflammatory responses in the body. Just as a swollen ankle happens when you damage it, your eyes can become puffy and bags more pronounced.
The oestrogen and progesterone hormones in milk cause your skin cells to over-produce which block pores, bind with sebum and cause spots.
So... broccoli for lunch then?
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