• Question: Why do people go bright red when they get embarrassed?

    Asked by kclark to Amy, Drew, Julia, Kimberley, Sara on 21 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Drew Rae

      Drew Rae answered on 18 Jun 2011:

      Hi. This is a really interesting question. People who are shy or have social phobia are actually genuinely more likely to blush (go bright red) when they are nervous or embarassed. As best as we can tell, the social situation is over-stimulating the physical nervous system. Why it triggers blushing in particular rather than fighting or running away, which are more normal evolved responses, we don’t know.

    • Photo: Julia Griffen

      Julia Griffen answered on 18 Jun 2011:

      Blushing is a rush of blood to the surface of the skin due to a release in hormones esp adrenalin. The release of hormones is this case is goverened by our emotional state.

    • Photo: Sara Imari Walker

      Sara Imari Walker answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      Hi kclark! As far as I know Drew’s answer is spot on! Blushing is involuntary and is usually caused by embarrassment or emotional stress. It is thought that blushing is the result of an overactive nervous system. People who tend to be shy or nervous in social situations also tend to blush more. The actual mechanism is blood rushing to your skin surface as Julia has described.

    • Photo: Amy MacQueen

      Amy MacQueen answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      Because you have increased blood flow to your cheeks – blood flows faster when you are excited or nervous and when it flows near to the skin in your cheeks you can see it through the skin!

      🙂

    • Photo: Kimberley Bryon

      Kimberley Bryon answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      As the others have said you have increased blood flow to the cheeks. I blush at the slightest things (apparently this is also because my skin is so pale, blood shows up more).

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