Table of contents:
- Red cheeks are a response from the sympathetic nervous system
- Surgery to limit the response of red cheeks
Your body will react differently when you experience certain emotional turmoil. For example, when you are feeling nervous or embarrassed, your cheeks will flush red or even go bright red. In fact, why are your cheeks red when you feel shy? This is the answer.
Red cheeks are a response from the sympathetic nervous system
Blushing and embarrassment are two things that go hand in hand. Both are natural responses from a person that is regulated by the sympathetic nervous system. This system works spontaneously and cannot be regulated. This means that there is nothing you have to think about to do the process. It's different when you want to move your arms, for example, you have to think about doing it first.
When you feel embarrassed, your body releases the hormone adrenaline. This hormone acts as a natural stimulant which has various effects on the body. The increase in the adrenal hormone in the body causes your heart rate and breathing to increase as well.
Apart from that, the hormone adrenaline also causes your blood vessels to dilate which improves blood circulation. Since your face is filled with small blood vessels, the increased blood flow in that area is easier to see. Now, this condition makes your face or cheeks blush, which is considered a natural reaction to feeling embarrassed.
In other words, the hormone adrenaline causes more blood to flow to your cheeks, causing a red tinge to your face when you are blushing. Interestingly, this is an unusual response from your veins. This is because, in other areas of the body, the veins do not have much of this effect when adrenaline is released. Yes, the hormone adrenaline has only a small effect or even this hormone has no effect on the veins.
So, only feelings of shame can be triggered by the hormone adrenaline, causing redness on the face. That is why blushing when embarrassed is a unique phenomenon.
In general, blushing when embarrassed is a natural condition that occurs spontaneously and that you have no control over. Even so, this condition is generally only temporary and will go away after you feel more relaxed and can control yourself.
Surgery to limit the response of red cheeks
Although blushing when nervous or embarrassed is a natural response, not everyone likes this condition. Some people say that their blushing cheeks or face tend to look a little exaggerated. Especially for people who have white or light skin. Well, if you are one of those who experience this condition, don't worry.
The reason is, you can overcome excessive redness of the cheeks by performing an endothoracic sympathectomy. Yes, this operation is generally performed by those who have erythrophobia, a term for someone who is afraid of their cheeks or face blushing when they are nervous or embarrassed.
Endothoracic sympathectomy surgery is performed by cutting a small nerve that causes a reddish response on the face. After the operation is over, your cheeks' natural response to flushing when embarrassed is lessened.
