What Your Face Says About Your Health

We're told not to judge people based on their appearance, but surprisingly, you can tell a lot about someone's health by looking at their face. Some things can be deciphered pretty quickly, such as a person's approximate age. However, according to Dr. Sulagna Misra, the founding physician at Misra Wellness, you can delve much deeper than that. The board-certified doctor exclusively told Glam that even a person's ethnicity can determine their facial structure, how they'll age, and whether they're predisposed to certain diseases or damage. What's more, you can also tell how stressed someone is and if they're getting enough sleep care based on the condition of their face.

As Dr. Misra described, "Our hormones, metabolism, and chromosomal anomalies can be seen and indicated by enlarged or even smaller face anatomy and structure, including facial swelling or facial color changes." For example, skin discoloration can say a lot about a person's health. The yellowing of someone's face and eyes can indicate problems in their liver, but Dr. Misra noted that it can also mean they're eating too many carrots. Issues with your adrenal glands can cause darkening of the skin, while a hormone imbalance can bring on melasma. Our health expert added, "Insulin resistance can be seen on the face and cheeks, and also as darkening in the back of the neck and skin folds." Skin discoloration isn't all that signals possible health issues, however. If you're experiencing excessive wrinkles or a lack of symmetry in your face, you'll want to see a doctor, stat.

We all get fine lines and wrinkles as we age, but deep lines between your forehead can signify depression, Dr. Sulagna Misra exclusively shared with Glam. Sometimes called the Omega sign, the frown lines can be the result of excessive furrowing of the brows. Another cause for concern in regards to the face is sudden asymmetry in the face, and Dr. Misra warned us that a stroke or Lyme disease may be the culprit. She explained that if you're experiencing these symptoms, a professional is trained to look for telltale signs, such as if one part of the face is compensating for another, or if the eyes are squinting.

Dr. Misra advised us, "Any sudden, painful, or progressive changes that affect your ability to function or limit your ability to move your face that progressively gets worse or does not improve over time should be evaluated by a physician." She added, "Physicians are educated from a very early time in their training to look at every aspect of the patient." So, the next time you go in for a checkup and your doctor is focused on your face, you now know an inside secret that what they're really doing is evaluating your health.