As almost every mother instinctively knows and has relied upon from the beginning of time, looking into a child's face can provide telling and quick signs of possible unrest or a form of illness. In the 1800s Wilhelm Schussler, a German homeopath, created a new science stemming from this straightforward means of identifying symptoms. He used a probing look - "facial diagnosis" - to assess how a person was feeling. Schussler believed that certain facial expressions, movements and appearances reveal moods, dispositions and disorders, especially to the physician with years of experience. By visually studying his patients' faces, Schussler was able to diagnose a range of illnesses and choose the appropriate remedies. Building on his practice, natural medicine has since developed specific guidelines for using facial diagnoses. It is believed that practitioners following these guidelines can quickly and accurately draw conclusions about a patient's physical condition and ailments.
What the facial diagnostician considers
- Shape, size, color and expression of the face
- Skin and hair color
- Skin wrinkles and lines
- Moles, spots, nodules and swellings
- Shape and color of the eyes, ears and nose
- Shape of the mouth and chin
- Color, contours and shape of the lips
- Visibility of blood vessels
The diagnosis
The diagnostician draws conclusions by means of careful observation and knowledge based on experience. Technical devices and laboratory methods are considered distracting. The practitioner also takes a complete case history, discusses it with the patient and integrates this information with findings from the facial diagnosis. Health insurance funds do not cover the costs.
How is the diagnosis made?
Facial diagnosis is based on the long established idea that many internal ailments express themselves in the patient's external appearance, particularly in the face. It is believed that skillful diagnosticians and experienced caregivers can read the face for these telltale signals.
The view point of mainstream medicine
Before laboratory technology and diagnostic equipment were developed, visual diagnosis was a relied upon means of finding illness. Great physicians mastered this method and were often extremely accurate in diagnoses. Today, medical textbooks include descriptions of facial symptoms of certain conditions.
Extra tip : Experienced facial diagnosticians can recognize signs of incipient illnesses, such as the early stages of cancer.
A method for diagnosing chronic illnesses, metabolic ailments and hormonal disorders.
Facial symptoms
Trained diagnosticians can recognize these ailments by studying the face.
- Mitral Face : Red cheeks and paleness around the mouth indicates heart valve (mitral-valves) disorders.
- General paleness : Indicates anemia, such as from iron deficiency or shock
- White tip of nose : Indicates reduced production of gastric acid
- Red face : Indicates a worsening of blood, heart and lung ailments and the presence of high blood pressure
- Red, round ("full moon") face : Indicates Cushing's syndrome, marked by excess adrenal function; can also indicate treatment with cortisone
- Brownish pigmentation : Indicates Addison's disease, marked by reduced adrenal function
- Yellowish skin (jaundice) : Indicates liver, bile or blood ailments
- Flesh growths on the outer ear or the eyelids (gout nodules) : Indicates gout, marked by excess uric acid
- Cracks at the corners of the mouth : Indicates anemia or allergies
Signs & Symptoms
Telltale wrinkles
Two deep furrows between the nostrils and the corners of the mouth are viewed as signs of gastric or other digestive disorders. They can also indicate excessive stress and anger.
Lower jaw shape
A lower jaw that juts out sharply is a sign of physical and emotional energy that can be excessive and result in aggression in certain situations. People with this characteristic often have hectic lifestyles. A lower jaw that is very "pulled-in" can indicate suppressed emotion and a tendency toward depression.
What the eyes tell us
Facial diagnosticians believe that wide=open pupils reveal not only a life loving disposition, but one that may be inclined to constant activity as well, which can lead to stress. Protruding eyes indicate an overactive thyroid.
