Blushing

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Blushing is a brief reddening of the face, ears and neck, often spreading to the upper part of the chest, which can be accompanied by a feeling of heat.

The skin contains a network of small blood vessels with tiny muscles in their walls. Normally, these muscles are partly squeezed (contracted). Extreme contraction causes the vessels to close down so that less blood passes through them. This means less blood flows to the skin and it becomes pale or white. Full relaxation of these tiny muscles causes widening (dilatation), and a larger quantity of blood than normal passes through the skin, causing flushing, or blushing.

These small muscles in the blood vessels are controlled by the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is the network of nerves in the body that produce reflex or automatic reactions, that cannot be consciously controlled. This in turn is affected by various factors, such as heat, illness, or even the emotions. If a person tends to blush very often (for example during adolescence), it may be because they are feeling emotionally sensitive, or because the autonomic system is working too hard.

Some people blush more easily than others. For example, the same hot spicy food may produce a faint, barely visible flush in one person while another becomes very red.

Facial blushing may be accompanied by hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), particularly of the face or hands.