There are many types of health care outside of the system we typically associate with Western medicine, including complementary, alternative, or integrative medicine.
Alternative medicine is a different approach to medicine that cannot be coupled with mainstream medicine.
Complementary medicine is a combination of alternative and mainstream, western medicine.
Integrative medicine encompasses practices such as acupuncture and meditation, which can control or treat harmful side effects from damaging therapies and medications that are prescribed in mainstream medicine. Many individuals swear by these alternate forms of medicine and feel that they are better than their mainstream counterparts at treating individuals holistically.
In the end, it is up to you, as an individual, to seek out safe practices that will make you feel better and healthier.
Acupuncture is a popular technique used in alternative medicine.
Image Source: Nicolevanf
One interesting branch of Chinese alternative medicine is known as face mapping. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that different parts of your face reflect different internal organs. By observing facial color and visual marks like moles or swelling on your face, it may be possible to gather some clues about your overall health. In particular, determining common areas where you have acne can give you information about some lifestyle changes you may consider making.
If you have acne on or around your forehead, you might consider:
- Getting more sleep
- Drinking more water
- Reducing sugar in your diet
If you have acne on or around your nose, you might consider:
- Eating less meat and/or salt
- Increasing your Vitamin B intake
- Exercising more
If you have acne on or around your lips, you might consider:
- Eating more fiber
- Eating less spicy or fried foods
If you have acne on or around your chin and jaw, you might consider:
- Checking for hormonal imbalances
- Drinking spearmint tea
- Reducing stress
There may not be any concrete scientific backing to these hypotheses, but they may be worth a try if you notice acne appearing in a common area repeatedly!
Here are some more sites where you can learn more about face mapping: The Beauty Gypsy and Skinacea.com.
Featured Image Source: Meditation by Tarclo Saralva
