Blushing of the Skin

Skin blushing can occur for many reasons.

Skin blushing is a very common thing, usually triggered by an emotional response or embarrassment. Some individuals suffer from severe skin blushing and it can affect them more significantly than other people. There are several causes to skin blushing, including medical and emotional issues.

Definition

Skin blushing or flushing is redding of the face, neck and the upper chest due to blood vessels dilating in the skin. The face has more blood vessels and capillary loops than any other skin areas. Blushing is more apparent in the face not only because of these increased blood vessels, but also because the vessels are also wider in diameter on the cheeks, closer to the skin surface and more visible due to tissue fluid.

Common Causes

Skin blushing can occur due to extreme emotions, hot or spicy foods and rosacea. It can also occur due to alcohol use, carcinoid syndrome, high fever, menopause, rapid changes in temperature, and certain medicines that are used to treat diabetes and high cholesterol.

Embarrassment

Oftentimes, a face turns red due to embarrassment or stress. The sympathetic nervous system regulates the glands and organs subconsciously and controls the diameter of the facial blood vessels. These nerves may be unusually sensitive to emotional stress for some individuals, causing the face to blush under the right circumstances or embarrassment.

Anxiety

Individuals who have a social phobia may also experience severe skin blushing. Social phobia includes persistent and extreme anxiety in social or public performance scenarios.

Idiopathic Cranio-Facial Erythema

A severe case of skin blushing is called idiopathic cranio-facial erythema. Any situation can elicit intense blushing and it may take several minutes for the redness to dissipate. People who have severe social phobia anxiety may suffer from idiopathic cranio-facial erythema and it can make them feel uncomfortable in social and professional scenarios. This severe blushing is due to a sensitive sympathetic nervous system.

References

• health-cares.net: Skin Blushing/Flushing
• Medicine Plus: Skin Blushing/Flushing