WHY DO WE BLUSH?

Toni Baldry

Blushing occurs when an excess of blood flows into the small blood vessels just under the surface of the skin. Facial skin has more capillary loops and vessels, and the vessels are nearer the surface, so blushing is most visible on the cheeks, but may be seen across the whole face. The small muscles in the vessels are controlled by the nervous system.

Blushing can be affected by factors such as heat, illness, medicines, alcohol, spicy foods, allergic reactions and emotions. If you feel guilty, angry, excited or embarrassed, you will involuntarily release adrenaline, which sends the automatic nervous system into overdrive. Your breathing will increase, heart rate quicken, pupils dilate and blood will be redirected from your digestive system to your muscles, and you blush because your blood vessels dilate to improve oxygen flow around the body; this is all to prepare you for a fight-or-flight situation. The psychology of blushing remains elusive; some scientists even believe we have evolved to display our emotions to act as a public apology.