You're asking and I'm answering . . .
Dear Fit,
After I run in hot weather, my face turns so bright red. I stay hydrated, and I do feel hot, but not overheated. The friends I run with get slightly flushed, but not as scarlet red as me. Is this OK, or is this a sign that something is wrong?
—Rosie Red Rebecca
Don't worry, nothing is wrong with you. That ruby-red flush is just a sign that you're working hard and building up heat. When your temperature begins to rise, your smart little body perspires to keep itself cool, but it also dilates the blood vessels in your skin to reduce your body temperature (it's called vasodilation). This circulates blood to your skin's surface so that heat can radiate off of it. So have no fear — your face turns bright red because warm, oxygenated blood rushes to it as a way to prevent you from overheating. This is a good thing and nothing to be worried about.
To learn when a flushed face might be an indication of a problem read more.
If you notice other signs beyond a flushed face, like feeling exhausted, feeling dizzy, sweating more than normal, or are sick to your stomach then you may be close to heat exhaustion. If that's the case, stop exercising ASAP, get out of the sun, loosen up tight clothing (or remove it altogether), and drink plenty of cool water.
My-Wardrobe.com
Lola Cruz
Jon Richard
I am a red-faced runner. *sigh* No matter how in shape I get, it's always that way. What's REALLY frustrating is when the people I'm around ask "Are you okay?"
1Yes. I'm fine.
Me too--my face turns red way out of proportion to my exertion. It also stays red long after I've cooled down.
2I have this same problem............... and other girls at the gym (who seem to be working out just as hard) don't get nearly as red-faced....... is there a reason that some girls do and some girls don't?
3I'm the same way. Always have been, and like Mondaymoos my level of exertion and fitness doesn't seem to have anything to do with it. Likewise I say red for a long time after too. It's more than just looking flushed and yes, people ask me all the time too if I'm okay.
4I wonder if being fair-skinned has anything to do with it. I'm very fair-skinned and I turn beet red when I work out too. So does my friend who is also really light skinned. My sister, who's darker skinned than me, barely gets red at all when she works out.
5hmmm, i don't think that's it. I'm not super fair skinned. I'm not dark skinned, but i'm not pale at all. i guess you'd say i'm medium-skinned. and my face gets super beat red. I see girls at the gym with fairer skin than me, and they don't get red-faced like I do....
6My cheeks are always red, even when I didn't do anything tiring at all. But I do turn beet red after running or playing tennis.
7eh..my whole body turns red..i look like a giant tomato. but i've always been that way for as long as i can remember.
8Me too. And like jessie my arms and legs look sunburned. And since I'm fair, and never tans you can be pretty sure I look a little stupid.
9Mine has always been like that too, just means your body temperature is getting warmer. I don't sweat a lot though, so I make up for it by turning more red than most.
10genetics:) My mother & sperm donor both have this...it's a heat allergy for us! My mom can go in the sun or work out for just a little bit and be beat red...while the male has a more extreme and gets hives super easy with too much sun exposure. I just get really red and sometimes will break out from the sun!
So it could just be a sensitivity to the heat, ask your rents if they have similar reactions!
11girl, this is me. i turn bright red after about ten minutes into my workout, and will stay red until about 45 minutes after, even if i take a cold shower
12This is me too. When I played basketball I looked like a racoon. My face was all red, except around my eyes... it's sort of funny looking. It happens to me at the gym too. Running especially.
13Oh well, glad to know other people have this too!
I wish I knew if I had this...I run outside, alone.
14My face gets really red, too, but when this happens I always get a headache that won't go away (happened last night actually). It sucks!
15This happens to me every time I run. I used to get really embarrassed by it, but there's just nothing I can do, so why be embarrassed?. I also used to wonder if it was because I'm so fair-skinned, but Fit's explanation makes more sense.
That rush of oxygenated blood is probably good for your skin, yes? Or is that wishful thinking?
16It's so nice to know this happens to other people-I always feel like I'm the only one at the gym who has this. It starts about 10 minutes after I start running and goes away about an hour after I stop. I try to ignore the people who stare (especially on my walk home from the gym) by thinking, I look awful now, but if I didn't work out, I would look a lot worse overall. I've considered making a tee shirt that says YES I KNOW MY FACE IS RED-I'M NOT HAVING A HEART ATTACK to wear to the gym.
17Me too. I run in a park and even though no one has asked me if I'm okay, I do occasionally hear comments like, "That is ONE RED GIRL!"
18So glad other people get like this too!
19Oh man. I've NEVER been able to work out to ANY extent without my face getting damn near purple! You're all right, it doesn't matter what shape you are in, and it's the WORST when people ask if you're alright, or in my case "you might wanna rest a little". THAT'S the worst! I have a question though...when I do cardio for 45 mins or more, my feet start to fall asleep, and it's not from tight shoes. Has THAT happened to anyone else????
20I get the red face working out in the chilly AC. If I try to run outside when the temp is above 70 degrees, I get pukey quickly. I also get petechiae sometimes during workouts. That's always unsettling, but so far it seems to indicate nothing serious. At least I don't get those itchy hives.
21corduroy: Yes, my feet get tingly in my shoes after running for long periods of time too. I was told it is probably the onset of tarsel tunnel (the equivalent of carpel tunnel, only in your feet). Of course, I never went to the doctor for it or anything, it is just a minor annoyance that I deal with. If it starts to cause you real pain or other problems I might get checked out, just to be sure.
And yes... I am fair-skinned as well, and ALWAYS turn beet red when I run. And even after I quit, it seriously takes over an hour for my face to return to its normal color. Which sucks when I try to squeeze in a run before work and am still flushed when I get to the office...
22I am 42 years old and I have had this problem since I was a young girl. My face turns bright red with the slightest exertion such as walking briskly for a short time. It is so embarrassing especially now that my job is so physical. I help to stock a warehouse and my face gets beet red almost immediately and everyone stares at me; even when I am on my break my red face draws a lot of attention. It is so frustrating...is there anything I can do??????????????? Please help!
23I think we should all so running together!!
24:DD
is there anyway to prevent this from happening?
its so embarrassing!
I'm in cross country, and we run everyday. and everyyytime my face turns super bright pink, and it feels like my face is on fire. even though i'm not even worn out. i hate this. because then we have to run past the hot football players lol
My body temperature naturally runs at a high temp though. It sucks.
oh and when i get done with gym i'll always go to my next class and EVERY time my teacher would be about to start class and look at me and be like woahh..!
haha
you guys!
25i found the solution!
wear big sunglasses!!
i did that today and no one said anything xD
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