Conditions
Blushing
Although many of these conditions could leave you red in the face – blushing is brief, milder, and often seen as a reflection of embarrassment, guilt or nervousness. Other causes include spicy foods, high fever, exercise, certain drugs and the menopause, where women experience the infamous hot flushes. Blushing happens when tiny muscles in the blood vessels relax allowing more blood to pass through, whilst flushing makes the person markedly red on the face and other areas of the skin. The latter can be brought on by lots of reasons similar to blushing, but allergic reactions and dehydration can contribute to this. Rosacea, on the other hand, is a condition that looks like a flush or a blush, and can progress from persistent to intermittent redness with pimples without blackheads and red lines where the blood vessels of the face become prominent. Aggravated by certain foods and environments, rosacea responds to treatment but is incurable.
Comments
You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments are reviewed before they are published.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out the Channel 4 Health site or NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
When I drink certain alcoholic drinks, mostly wines and drinks with mixed soft drinks i get a flushing/rashy all down my neck and face cheeks.And my cheeks go really hot…I'm wondering if this is because I am allergic to something in these drinks,
Im 15 and have been blushing for a long time now. I am so scared of blushing its actually become a phobia. I feel my face going red and hot whewnever im uncomfortable or slightly embarassed, even when i get someones full attention. I hate people seeing me blush and im holding back from doing what i want because im so scared of blushing. I refuse to get a job because even though id love one im scared i would blush onfront of the customers, and i dont speak out in class either. Is there any treatement atall? Its really holding me back.
Hi I am 29, a little older than most people here, however my symptoms are the same. Ever since my son was born 1 year ago I have lost all of my confidence and I can't talk to anyone except my husband without having hot flushes, going red and feeling emarrassed for no reason. People just stop talking to me because they can see how difficult I am finding it to have a conversation. Please help me.
I'm 30 and have been suffering rom lushing for many years. I blush when I'm nervous, anxious, talking on the phone, thinking about an event I don't want to attend, I blush talking to strangers, friends and even my partner who I've bee with for 10 years. It starts on my chest and works its way up to my face, in bad cases it becomes itchy and sore. I am thinking of having hypnotherapy for this as I have been told I may ufer from social anxiety but can it possibly be a medical condtion? My siter suffers the same and also an uncle and cousin.
Hi, im 21 and get a very red flushed face as if im very embarrased over anything, even when im not embarrased. I can feel my face getting hotter and know im going bright red. My face and arms go very red when im in the gym or at work. i work outdoors and my face can go red from just standing outside. I dont go out after work or the gym as i know my face will be bright red. It also happens when im talking to people, not even strangers, happens alot with my girlfriends mum and dad and i have been going out with her nearly two years. Do i have some kind of problem with my blood pressure or something? Any advice? cheers. A
im 17 and when embaressed i go red in the face i really want to stop this because i find it so embaressing and im in serious need of help especially at my age..
happens in class, infront of people, when i just talk across the room to someone else..please help!
my cheeks have become red blotchy and sometimes dry i use moisturiser and put on make up but you can still see the blotchyness and it still feels dry, is there anything i can do to get rid of it or calm it down?
my cheeks are red and blotchy constantly and i cant get rid of it i usually put loads of makeup on to cover it but still can see the blotchiness is there anything i can do to get rid of it or try and ease it abit
Hi, I am feeling so down because of this facial condition. Almost every afternoon (anytime from about 3pm, strangely never in the morning) I begin to feel my face get hotter, usually beginning high up on one cheek, it then spreads to the other cheek and sometimes toward my chin. There is no pain, just a hot sensation and complete embarrassment. I feel like I can't go out with my friends because this occurs almost as soon as i enter a pub.
I also blush ALL the time no matter if the situation is embarrassing or not! I would really appreciate some help…I have been to 4 different Drs, but none of them seem to take the condition seriously :*(
i am 14 and go red over anything evan when im not embarassed or i will be talking to a member of my family and will go bright red. At school when im talking to a teacher i will go red or when im standing infront of everyone reading something out but the thing is im not embarrassed and i get called loads of horrible names. some of my friends dont evan want to be friends with me because i blush so much i really want it to go away so i went to see a doctor but he said its just normal so please help me thanks
Important Notice
The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.
If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here


The EB doctors have been looking at your comments and have answered some of the common questions below. Remember that it is always best to check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.