What Does It Mean If Your Face Goes Red After Exercise?

I do not know what people are talking about when they describe having, or being, “gym crushes”. For me, fellow gym-goers see my ugliest self: sweaty brow, frizzy hair, magenta face. Not exactly romantic.

But what does it actually mean if, like me, you go bright red after exercise?

Like getting out of breath after climbing the stairs, is it more or less worrying depending on its severity? Is there a “normal” level of redness after exercise?

We spoke to Dr Dominic Greenyer, GP and director at The Health Suite in Leicester, about why some people turn scarlet after a run and what it means.

When you work out, your muscles need more blood (so much more, in fact, that over time, regularly exercised muscle tissue builds more blood vessels).

So, “when you exercise, your blood flow increases and pushes heat to the surface to help you regulate your temperature,” Dr Greenyer told HuffPost UK.

“We have lots of capillaries close to the skin on our face, which is why some people can look red in appearance” after working out, he added.

The more intense and/or long-lasting the workout, the redder your face might become. That’s because your body is working harder to try to cool you down.

“Some people are more prone to this, including those with fair skin or who suffer from a condition called rosacea,” the GP added.

Rosacea is a long-term skin condition that makes a person’s skin, including the skin on their face, appear redder due to dilated blood vessels.

Thankfully, Dr Greenyer told us, “experiencing a red face after exercise is usually a very normal response, especially if you have really exerted yourself”.

It is usually nothing to worry about, even if you go very red.

But, the doctor cautioned, it could sometimes “suggest other conditions affecting the heart or liver” if it comes alongside other symptoms.

“Having a red face after exercise is usually nothing to worry about, and will return to normal once you stop, take some slow deep breaths and drink plenty of water,” he ended.

“But if it is accompanied by other symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, chest pain or shortness of breath, see a doctor.”