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We’ve all felt this way. You feel embarrassed, and then something happens: a warm blush creeps up your neck and across your cheeks. The more I think about it, the hotter and redder I get. If someone asks “Are you blushing?” it will only make you blush more.
So why do we do this? When we are already self-aware, this automatic reaction can feel like an extra punishment. But evolutionary science suggests blushing may actually have a social advantage. Let’s take a look.
What is blushing?
Blushing is our body’s visible reaction when we feel mood For example Awkwardshyness or self-consciousness.
It is caused by a brief increase in blood flow to the skin of the ears, face, neck, or chest.
When a certain emotion triggers blushing, the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the body’s automatic functions, becomes active and releases adrenaline. This causes the tiny muscles in the blood vessels to relax.
In the body, adrenaline tightens blood vessels, but on the face it has the opposite effect – they dilate. This means more blood flows to the skin, making the face feel warm.
Our skin turns red due to the sudden rush of blood to its surface.
This redness will be more noticeable in people with lighter skin tones. In darker skin tones, this change may be less noticeable or not noticeable at all, but the same physiological process still occurs.
Whether others can see it or not, your face will still feel warm or tingling.
The social role of blushing
People blush when they feel highly embarrassed, which is often caused by unwanted social attention.
So, although the “fight or flight” system is involved, blushing is not in response to danger. Instead, scientists believe it evolved as a social signal, a way of showing others that we recognize a mistake or are embarrassed.
This actually helps build trust, as people often view blushing as a sign of honesty or sincerity, especially since it’s automatic. Blushing can signal a nonverbal apology for a social misstep, which can help maintain social connections after the transgression.
Different emotions make us blush, but the mechanism is the same: increasing blood flow to the face, making us feel warm.
The difference is that, for example, blushing when angry comes from excitement and frustration, whereas blushing when embarrassed comes from self-awareness and social emotions.
People blush for different reasons. For example, one study found that children with social disorders anxiety They blushed with embarrassment when receiving excessive praise compared to moderate praise or no praise.
In a follow-up study, researchers found that children who scored high on narcissism — meaning they had an inflated sense of self-importance, a desire for admiration and a lack of empathy — blushed only when they received moderate praise. Researchers believe this is because the praise given does not match the child’s perception of his or her performance.
Who is most likely to blush?
Women and young people are more likely to blush. This may explain why it is often associated with youth, vitality and fertility.
People with social anxiety disorder are also more likely to blush.
But as we age and gain more life experience, we tend to blush less. This may indicate that we are more familiar with social norms—or that we are less bothered if we violate them.
People with facial erythema (persistent redness of the face) are often mistaken for blushing. But this condition can have a variety of causes, including rosacea, allergic contact dermatitis, drug reactions, and lupus (a chronic autoimmune disease).
Animals also blush
Some primates have pale facial skin and may blush, such as Japanese macaques and bald Ukka monkeys.
For mandrills, another primate, blushing plays an important role in fertility. Women tend to have dark complexions when they are young and after giving birth. But during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, their faces turn bright red, indicating their fertility.
About the author
Amanda Meyer is Senior Lecturer in Anatomy and Pathology at the School of Medicine and Dentistry at James Cook University.
Monika Zimanyi is Associate Professor of Anatomy at James Cook University.
This article is reproduced from dialogue Licensed under Creative Commons. read Original article.
When male mandrills meet a fertile female, their faces become redder because they produce more testosterone.
Human makeup trends may evoke similar fertility and attraction rituals, consciously or unconsciously.
TikTok and Instagram, for example, are filled with people who are “addicted” to blushing using hashtags like #Blushaholics and #BlushBlindness. Heavy blush is commonly used not only by female bands but also by K-pop groups.
When to Get Help with Blushing
Because blushing is an unconscious reaction, once you blush you can’t stop it.
However, if your blushing persists for more than a few days, is painful, or is causing you distress due to cosmetic concerns, talk to your GP or health professional.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (a type of talk therapy that helps reshape unhelpful thoughts and behaviors) may be beneficial for people who blush due to social anxiety.
In rare cases, surgery may be recommended if the cause is sympathetic nervous system overactivity. There are two types: sympathectomy removes part of the sympathetic chain, a long chain of nerve fibers that runs along the spine, while sympathectomy cuts the chain near the second rib, where it joins the spine.
Evidence shows these procedures are effective and can improve the quality of life of people with severe symptoms.
But for most people, blushing doesn’t require medical intervention. If you can get over the awkwardness, this automatic reaction can be an opportunity to reflect on your body’s signals and what they reveal about yourself and how you relate to the world.