To you it’s the cutest dimply smile and the loveliest button nose, but, to a seasoned physiognomist, your child’s unique facial features tell a whole other story. Physiognomy, better known as face reading, is a popular strand of Chinese and Indian medicine used to establish the strengths and weaknesses in the body and mind. And this ancient discipline is increasingly being carried out on children. So what can be discovered from scrutinising your child’s lovely face, and as a parent can you practise the art of physiognomy on your own child? “Most parents naturally study their child’s face and most of the time it is a completely unconscious process,” says Philip Weeks, an alternative therapist who specialises in face reading. “We often look for family traits and try to gauge a child’s emotions, but few parents realise that you can actually tell an awful lot about your child’s health and personality by looking closely at their face.”
One key area to focus on, says Philip, is the top of your child’s nose, between the eyebrows. “This area is closely linked to your child’s digestive system,” he says. “If you detect a little wrinkle here, it’s often a sign that your child isn’t receiving the right kind of nourishment, either nutritionally or perhaps emotionally. If, however, you notice a slight blue tinge, then you could be seeing the first signs of an allergy. I’ve sometimes encountered this in bottle-fed babies who aren’t tolerating formula milk very well.” Another tell-tale feature to look for, according to physiognomists, are your child’s falin lines, which are the two lines that run from the side of the nose to the side of the mouth. “The majority of children only have these when they are laughing, but if your child has them all the time, it’s a sign they are very determined and quite stubborn.”
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Useful links:
More information on face reading: www.philipweeks.co.uk
Predicting your child’s height: www.pediatrics.about.com
This article previously appeared in Junior magazine as a print article