In order to be able to take necessary precautionary measures, if needed, you must be aware of the likely reasons for the redness on your face. This article aims to bring out the most common causes of blushing face and also enlist and explain methods to avoid the condition.
1. Why Does Your Face Blush During Winter?
While there may be many reasons for your blushing face ranging from personal health issues to external temperature fluctuations, some of the major reasons are discussed in this section.
1.1. Effect of Temperature Fluctuations
As your body gets exposed to excessive temperature variations, it tries to fight the weather through its own internal mechanisms. The face is the part of your body that gets the maximum brunt of the weather. In order to maintain the temperature of the face, the brain sends signals to the blood vessels as well as the heart to increase the flow of blood to the face area. As a result of this, the blood vessels swell up to accommodate more blood in the face region. This is what’s known as flushing of your face and leads to reddening of the face.
1.2. Skin Health Issues
The redness of the face is most commonly caused by some of the other dermatological problems. The skin problem may be caused because of a hereditary issue, hormonal changes, neglect of the well-being of the skin, pollution or any other reasons. There can be several types of skin issues that could lead to burning or blushing face. Some of the most widespread causes are given below :
Rosacea. Over 16 million people in America alone are affected by this skin condition. As the symptoms of this complication are very similar to flushing or blushing face, most of the people suffering from it aren’t even aware. Although middle-aged women with light skin are most highly vulnerable to be affected by this condition, it can affect anyone. Apart from the flushing face, it can also cause – Protruding veins. The raised temperature of the skin. Acne-like red bumps, which may be filled with puss. Swollen eyelids.
Acne. Almost all teenagers have to face this embarrassing skin condition; it can even affect people of other ages. Acne is the most common dermatological problem. It’s caused when dirt, oil or dead skin particles block the skin pores, thereby providing a breeding ground for bacteria. These clogged pores swell due to the rapidly multiplying bacteria and end up giving an unhealthy redness to your face. The following are the different types of acne:- Whiteheads – white bumps. Blackheads – dark bumps. Papules – red bumps. Nodules – Big lumps that can be painful. Pimples/pustules – white-topped red bumps.
1.3. Few Other Common Causes
In addition to the above- mentioned causes, there can be a few other reasons for your blushing face. These miscellaneous problems that could lead to redness on your face are covered in this section. Before proceeding ahead to have a look at the assorted causes, you must also know that you may get temporary flushing due to a variety of reasons including drinking a hot drink, intensified physical activity like a workout, etc. To know more about these and other causes, read our article on temporary blushing.
1.3.1. Extreme Emotions
Extreme anger can increase blood pressure and hence blood flow to your face. It’s this increased blood flow that causes a burning face. Embarrassment or high level of nervousness can also cause extra blood to rush to your face, which results in blushing. This can also occur when you’re overexcited. You must’ve heard the term, ‘adrenaline rush’.
Adrenaline is a hormone released by your body to send signals about any danger to your body. In cases of extreme emotions, discussed above, your body starts releasing extra adrenaline because it senses some danger. The additional quantity of this hormone is the reason for increased blood flow. Although these are not causes of great concern, we’ll see how to control such occurrences in the subsequent sections.
1.3.2. Blockage in Blood Circulation
The arteries supply oxygenated blood from your heart to various parts of the body, whereas the veins do the reverse. They carry impure blood back to the heart. When there’s a blockage in your veins, the impure blood starts getting collected in the region around the blocked blood vessel. This excessive blood causes the redness in your skin. In such cases, you’ll also see other symptoms like swollen veins, dark lines, etc. This condition is called ‘Varicose Veins’ and it needs to be treated to avoid further serious medical complications.
1.3.3. Excessive Exfoliation
Just like any other living organism, the cells also have a life; a cell’s normal lifetime ranges between 28 to 30 days. Skin cells are no different and during their lifetime, cells originate in the deeper layers of skin, rise up to the top layer and then finally dying. All through their life-cycle, the cells perform different tasks. Even the dead skin cells also perform their role as they form the protective stratum corneum layer providing necessary protection to the skin.
As new cells are generated, these dead cells are shed off to accommodate the new cells. However, due to external factors like pollution or internal reasons like hormonal changes, sometimes the cells die early and are required to be exfoliated by the application of exfoliating agents. There are many exfoliation products available in the market. Due to the fast lifestyle and the urge to get a refreshing look, people tend to overuse these cosmetic exfoliation agents.
This over-exfoliation peels away not just the dead skin cells, but also the living ones. As the top protective layer of the skin gets removed, the deeper younger cells get exposed to the vagaries of nature. This premature exposure causes damage to the young skin cells, which become red and lend that reddish tinge to your face.
2. How to Deal With Flushing/Blushing Face in Winter
Just as a blushing face that looks beautiful isn’t always a sign of good health, it’s not necessarily a signal to be too alarmed either. However, redness in your face can sometimes be a sign of a medical problem, which can get aggravated if left unattended. With a little care and precaution, you can avoid the problem and it’s also possible to completely cure the condition by reversing it. In this section, we go through some of the most effective methods to deal with rosy cheeks, especially in winter.
2.1. Temperature Holds the Key
As we’ve seen, when the skin is exposed to cold climate, blood rushes to the face to keep it warm. If you avoid exposure to extreme cold, you can effectively avoid this face flushing. Covering your face while going out in the cold weather, using lukewarm water for cleansing face and similar precautionary measures can go a long way in fighting the condition of flushing face
2.2. Effective Skincare
Most of the dermatological complications can be easily avoided with proper and adequate skin care. As you’ll realize after going through the following recommendations, effective skincare involves the application of mild cosmetics and cleansers as well as avoiding the use of strong skin products :
Use mild soap or facial cleansers to keep your face clean.
If the redness on your face is due to acne, avoid scrubs and exfoliation products.
Use only moderate creams and lotions on your face.
Use face masks that are available over-the-counter to soothe your delicate skin.
Minimize the use of toners, astringents and other cosmetic products that can irritate your skin.
Avoid using hot or cold water; lukewarm water works best for cleansing the face.
Make use of thicker moisturizers with ceramides, that provide almost the same lipid barrier as your skin.
2.3. Keeping Your Skin Clean
The flushing face like any other dermatological problems originates from dirt or oil blocking minute pores in your skin. This blockage not only hinders oxygenation of your skin but also offers the ideal breeding ground for bacteria to multiply. Therefore, keeping your skin clean is of paramount importance in order to avoid blushing face along with several other facial problems. Cleaning the face at the right times is as critical as using the right cleaning products. Clean your face every night before you go to bed and also as soon as you come back from outside. If you stay in an urban area full of pollution or if you have oily skin, the frequency of cleaning your face should be more than normal.
