What Your Lines And Wrinkles Can Say About You

Do you know that wrinkles are not only signs of age, but may also be an indicator of our physical state and mental health? According to Chinese medicine, there is a very strong link between the power of our emotions and the lines on our faces. Wrinkles can reveal what mood you’re usually in, what you are struggling with at the moment and what you may need a little extra help with.

You might keep them at bay with a healthy lifestyle, face massages and dedicated skincare but before being focused on how to minimize them, you should think about what they want to tell you first. By paying attention to the lines and wrinkles of your face, you can unlock secrets to the rest of your body.

Our faces reveal so much about us, including many emotions – says Chinese Medicine Practitioner and Cosmetic Acupuncturist Dr Abbie Cloherty. – You can look at someone and immediately see whether they are sad, stressed, angry or happy. These different expressions are formed by what’s underneath the skin—muscles, tissues, blood flow, fluids and nerves. These are not just connected to our faces, but to the whole bodily system. If deeper wrinkles appear in a specific area, the cause may be an emotional imbalance that diet and products alone can’t budge. Chinese medicine and acupuncture may help pinpoint areas of struggle for you and gently assist you through a healing process.

What wrinkles can reveal

Although genetics mainly determine skin structure and texture, sun exposure is a major cause of wrinkles, especially for people with fair and dry skin. Pollutants, smoking, stress and anxiety also contribute to wrinkling.

Expression wrinkles form over time due to repeated facial movements such as smiling and frowning. They have an imprint on facial skin in areas such as the corner of the eyes, where they take the form of crow’s feet, the forehead and the glabella, where they appear as frown lines, and around the mouth, as marionette lines.

The vertical wrinkles, on the forehead, around the eyes or the lips depend on negative emotional expressions such as frowning or anger. – explains Dario Tartaglini, a cosmetic surgery doctor from Milan – Whereas, crow’s feet with horizontal patterns are related to expressions of joy, laughter, surprise and “mark” the face in a pleasant way.

Whether you like your wrinkles or not, you can’t hide from your skin: as an open book, it will always keep a record of and reveal who we have been in the past, what we did and are doing. Here are some hidden issues they might reveal. 

• Horizontal lines on the forehead 

 These lines are often called “worry lines” for a reason. Having these lines indicates that you bottle up a large amount of stress. They are a sign that you may need to take a break and relax. They might also be a sign of an excess of liquid, sugar or fat intake.

• Frown lines

Unless you are a deep thinker with a busy mind, frown lines can indicate frustration and impatience. These wrinkles also show that you are stubborn and have a hard time letting things go. Stress often gets the best of you. These lines are not only caused by regular sun exposure but also reinforced by negative facial expressions. A tip to reduce glabellar lines is to reduce caffeine intake. Caffeine can act as a diuretic that contributes to dehydration.

• Crow’s feet

Soft crow’s feet might indicate a happy individual who smiles a lot. However, when they become deep and fixed, that can also indicate tension and frustration, and a lot of time spent making difficult decisions. They also can have to do with your eyesight. If you are constantly squinting to see your phone, TV, or computer screen, you may inadvertently be deepening your crow’s feet. Additionally, the crow’s feet are connected to internal organs, such as the stomach, kidney, and liver. They could be an indication that you have weakened organs and need to adjust to a healthier diet and exercise regimen.

• Lip lines

Upper lip lines are associated more frequently with smoking but are also indicative of other damaging habits such as eating disorders. Prominent vertical lip lines often indicate someone who neglects herself, physically, spiritually and emotionally.  This area is also connected to the spleen.

• Mouth Lines

Many people have vertical lines on the sides of their mouths. The side of the mouth is connected to the colon. While colon health is not always on everyone’s minds, it is very important to check it out, especially later in life. Luckily, this is a relatively easy part of the body to support. Fibre, vitamin D, exercise, and plenty of fluids are simple ways to promote colon health if you notice those side mouth lines.

Whatever prominent wrinkles you are struggling with, you must understand that you can’t change your genes or the effects of gravity over time, but you can do your best to prevent skin damage.

By making healthy lifestyle choices such as exercising and adding more antioxidants to your diet (like apples, berries, plums, black beans and oily fish), as well as choosing the right beauty products for your skin you can minimise wrinkles. However, it’s by getting enough sleep and staying well hydrated that you will have a better chance to boost your skin’s regeneration process.

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