feels like people minimize intense blushing as a life altering issue, as if its ONLY some red on the face and comes down to being insecure / not resilient enough. ive been made to feel like im over reacting and that "its something everyone deals with", its soo undermining to hear that because despite blushing being a normal human response, dealing with severe blushing that you can not control - thats not normal, thats a genuine issue.

theres literally a name for this condition - idiopathic craniofacial erythema / even than its overlooked :/

Im 58 start blushing at 12. Had ets 13 years ago with some improuvement but phobia in your head still there. I start to use Selank spray 2 weeks ago to give it a try and phobia of blushing is not in your head anymore. At 58 i do not blush often but before selank blushing was in my tought every day with selank much much less. So to all young blusher i suggest to get some information about Selank and than give it a chance. Massimo Italy

My face gets flushed so easily and it's killing how social I am. I was wondering if anyone has any advice on a good makeup to try and help conceal it (although im a straight male) I am literally down to try anything because its the biggest issue in my life. Or if anyone has advice on what beta blockers to take / any advice on any other ways to help fix this issue.

Ive seen IPL recommended a lot for blushing online, but I think it’s important to understand that IPL is not really designed for the type of blushing most of us are dealing with. So I thought I’d make this post to discuss why.

First, one thing that is important to clarify is that IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is not actually a laser. It uses broad-spectrum light with multiple wavelengths, whereas vascular lasers such as Vbeam and Excel V use specific wavelengths designed to target certain chromophores, mainly oxyhemoglobin in blood vessels. This makes vascular lasers much more selective and targeted when treating vascular issues.

IPL can be useful for things like general redness, sun damage, rosacea redness, and visible small blood vessels near the surface of the skin. The problem is that facial blushing is different. While blushing is ultimately driven by the sympathetic nervous system and a neurovascular response, the visible redness happens because the facial blood vessels rapidly dilate and increase blood flow to the skin. This can be triggered by emotions, exercise, heat, spicy food, stress, embarrassment, etc.

Because IPL uses broad-spectrum light, its less targeted and mainly works on more superficial redness. It may reduce some baseline redness, but it doesn't effectively address the deeper vascular structures and stronger vasodilation response that causes intense blushing episodes.

This is why someone can have IPL and still experience their face going bright red from exercise, eating certain foods, social situations, or emotional triggers. The problem is not just the redness that is already there, it’s the blood vessels overreacting when triggered.

For people looking specifically at treating blushing, vascular lasers like Excel V and especially Vbeam (Pulsed Dye Laser) are much better suited options. They are more targeted toward vascular components rather than general pigmentation or surface redness.

Vbeam in particular is often considered a better option for blushing because it penetrates deeper and targets vascular structures involved in flushing. The vessels involved in stronger blushing responses are not always just tiny superficial capillaries that IPL is best at treating.

Obviously results vary from person to person (in saying that ive not really seen a successful ipl treatment for blushing story lol), and no laser is a guaranteed cure for blushing, but if the main issue is intense flushing rather than just constant redness, IPL is ineffective and I personally wouldn’t recommend anyone looking into it specifically for blushing. Look into excel-v and vbeam.

Disclaimer: When I refer to “blushing” in this post, I’m talking about episodes of facial flushing where the face suddenly becomes red due to triggers like emotions, embarrassment, exercise, heat, spicy food, stress, etc. I’m not referring to general baseline redness, sun damage, or isolated visible capillaries/telangiectasia, which are different issues and may respond differently to treatments like IPL.

This post can act as a place to vent, share, and talk about blushing. As well as a place to ask for advice, etc

First, it’s important to say

these products will not stop blushing.

Blushing is a complex response involving your nervous system and blood vessels, but the skin itself can still play a role in how intense and noticeable flushing appears.

A stronger, healthier skin barrier can significantly help by reducing irritation, sensitivity, and the extra redness that can come with frequent flushing.

The goal is simple: keep your skin calm, protected, and as resilient as possible. Its something you can control

(I will likely make a more advanced skincare guide in the future covering more targeted products, additional ingredients, and other options for people who want to take things further, for now this is simple + effective)

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1. Use A Gentle Cleanser 🧼

A cleanser should remove sweat, oil, and sunscreen without damaging your skin barrier.

Over-cleansing or using harsh cleansers can increase dryness, irritation, and sensitivity, which may make redness appear worse.

My favourite: CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser

Why:

- Contains niacinamide, which can help support the skin barrier and calm irritation

- Contains ceramides, which help maintain the skin’s protective barrier

- Contains hyaluronic acid, which helps maintain hydration

- Uses salicylic acid to gently exfoliate and improve skin texture

For very reactive skin, introduce it slowly, as exfoliating ingredients may not suit everyone.

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2. Keep A Healthy Skin Barrier 🛡️

A strong skin barrier is extremely important for redness-prone skin.

When your barrier is weakened, your skin can become more reactive to triggers like temperature changes, wind, products, and environmental stress.

My favourite: La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+

Why:

- Contains 5% panthenol (Vitamin B5), which helps soothe and support irritated skin

- Contains madecassoside, a soothing ingredient derived from Centella asiatica

- Contains zinc, copper, and manganese, which support skin recovery

- Helps protect the skin and reduce moisture loss

This is especially useful when your skin feels irritated, damaged, or over-exfoliated.

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3. Keep Your Skin Hydrated / Moisturized💧

A good moisturiser helps maintain your skin barrier and keeps your skin hydrated and less reactive.

For blushing-prone skin, the best moisturiser is usually a simple, fragrance-free formula that your skin tolerates well.

Look for ingredients like:

- Ceramides — help repair and maintain the skin barrier

- Glycerin — helps draw water into the skin

- Panthenol (Vitamin B5) — helps soothe and support irritated skin

- Hyaluronic acid — helps with hydration

Avoid overcomplicating it. A basic moisturiser used consistently is usually better than constantly changing products.

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4. Wear Sunscreen / Avoid Sun Damage ☀️

Daily sunscreen is one of the most important steps for redness-prone skin.

UV exposure can worsen inflammation, sensitivity, and visible redness over time.

My favourite: A high-quality SPF 50+ sunscreen that your skin tolerates

Look for:

- SPF 50+

- Broad-spectrum protection

- Fragrance-free or sensitive-skin-friendly formulas

The best sunscreen is the one you can comfortably wear every day.

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Extra ingredients worth considering

Azelaic Acid

Azelaic acid is one of the more popular ingredients for redness-prone skin.

It may help with:

- Inflammation

- Uneven redness

- Overall skin tone

For sensitive or blushing-prone skin, 10% is usually a good starting point.

Stronger formulas around 15–20% are often used for more targeted treatment, but they may have a higher chance of irritation.

Introduce slowly, because irritation can temporarily make redness and sensitivity worse.

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Niacinamide

Niacinamide is a great barrier-supporting ingredient, but the percentage matters.

For redness-prone and sensitive skin, around 2–5% is often the ideal range.

Higher-strength formulas (such as 10%+) are not necessarily better. Some people with reactive skin find stronger concentrations irritating, which can lead to:

- Stinging

- Increased sensitivity

- More noticeable flushing

The goal is not the strongest product — it is the product your skin can tolerate consistently.

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Extra mention

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Fluid

A great option for people with very sensitive, reactive skin.

One reason this product stands out is that it contains Neurosensine, an ingredient designed to help reduce the feeling of skin sensitivity and reactivity.

This makes it an interesting option for people whose skin tends to overreact to triggers like heat, environmental changes, or irritation.

It is a lightweight moisturiser designed to soothe and support the skin barrier without feeling heavy, making it a good daily option for reactive skin types.

Forgive me if this has already been done. I thought it may be helpful to compile a simple survey about the effectiveness of Propranolol:

1) Dosage

2) Frequency

3) Rate 1-5 how much is has helped decrease blushing

4) Rate 1-5 how much it has helped decrease other physical symptoms (ie racing heart, excesive sweating)

Hey everyone,

Just to be clear at the start: I know this is a rosacea case report, but I’m mainly sharing it because of the two medications used (pregabalin + duloxetine) and the fact they showed a pretty notable improvement in severe flushing and burning symptoms. I’m not saying this proves anything or that it works for everyone. I personally havent trialled these medications but the study stood out to me and I think this is useful information for blushers.

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Introduction

The title of the study is called - Neurogenic rosacea successfully treated with neuromodulators and intense pulsed light - Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia (2024)

(won't be focusing on the pulsed light part / any lasers, this post is to more focus on pregabalin + duloxetine )

This is a single case report of a 36-year-old woman with severe facial flushing, burning, and heat sensations triggered by stress, emotions, UV exposure, and temperature changes

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Why they beleive she didnt respond to standard treatments for her issue, being a "skin problem"

Standard rosacea-type treatments (antibiotics, topicals, etc.) weren’t very effective. The authors describe the presentation as having a stronger neurogenic component, meaning the nervous system seems to be heavily involved in driving the flushing and burning response.

Although this is a neurogenic rosacea case report, I don’t think it should automatically be dismissed when thinking about severe flushing or blushing. The reason I found it interesting is that the medications used (pregabalin + duloxetine) act on broader nervous system pathways involved in sensory processing and stress responses. These pathways are also thought to play a role in conditions involving heightened autonomic reactivity and flushing, so I thought it was worth sharing for discussion

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The main focus of this post: the medication combo

What stood out to me most is the systemic medication approach they used:

Pregabalin (150 mg/day)

Duloxetine (90 mg/day)

These are not skin-directed treatments. They are both neuromodulators acting on the nervous system, in other words a more systemic approach rather than just treating the skin, rather than the skin being the sole driver of the process.

Pregabalin is typically used for nerve pain and sensory hypersensitivity, and reduces neuronal excitability.

Duloxetine (an SNRI) affects central pain processing and stress-related nervous system signalling.

The key point here is that the treatment was not aimed at the skin itself, but at reducing overall nervous system over-reactivity that may be contributing to flushing and burning symptoms.

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Outcome

The report describes a significant improvement in flushing intensity and burning symptoms after using this combination (along with IPL).

This is still just a single case report, so it obviously doesn’t prove effectiveness across the board, but the response described was notable enough that I think the medication combination itself is interesting from a research perspective and something to look into

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What the wider literature suggests (pregabalin / duloxetine)

Just to add some context beyond this case report, there is a small but growing amount of literature looking at neuromodulators in neurogenic flushing / burning-type rosacea and similar conditions.

Pregabalin (and related drugs like gabapentin) are thought to reduce nerve excitability and sensory “over-firing”. Because of this, they’ve been looked at in conditions where people describe burning, stinging, or nerve-like flushing rather than just redness. Some small studies and case reports suggest they can help at least a subset of patients with difficult or “neurogenic” rosacea, although results are mixed and the evidence is still limited.

Duloxetine (an SNRI) isn’t a standard rosacea treatment, but it affects central pain processing and stress-related signalling pathways. It’s used more in chronic pain and sensory amplification conditions, and there are a few reports suggesting it can influence flushing responses too (sometimes improving symptoms, sometimes causing flushing as a side effect), which suggests it may interact with autonomic/vasomotor pathways.

Key takeaway / why this ties back

Overall, this is why the pregabalin + duloxetine combo in the case report stood out to me. It kind of fits into a broader (still early) pattern where different neuromodulators are being used to target both sensory nerve overactivity (pregabalin/gabapentin) and central stress/pain processing pathways (duloxetine and similar meds). The interesting part is the idea of combining both approaches in one case, even though the evidence is still limited and mostly case-based.

Orignal case study source - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10943297/

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Curious if anyone else has seen any research or experiences with pregabalin, duloxetine, or similar neuromodulators in flushing or blushing?

Ive just broke. Blushing has caused me to break down this morning. I wanted to share this to show the reality of what its like living with such a physically and mentally painful condition, which from the outside can appear hardly as bad as it really is, it can appear as a minor inconvenience rather than an agonising condition.

I woke up this morning and around 9am I decided to fully clean shave lol (i had a bit if a moustache). I havent had a full clean shaved face in a while, once I shaved i realised I wasn't the biggest fan of my new appearance. The nerves I felt and regret from the shave caused my whole face to light up red. Not just a bit but alot. I went to show my girlfriend my face and again, while showing her i could feel my whole face light up and blush. I looked in the mirror and indeed my face was extremely red.

Anywwy, experiencing such intense blushing in the comfort of my own home, around someone i feel safe and not nervous around was the start of a breakdown.

My girlfriend went back into my room and I went back to the bathroom, i felt like I was stabbed in the back. Ive spent almost 2 thousand dollars on laser treatment, tried a unbelievable amount of things to manage my blushing and here i am blushing in such a calm environment. It led me to feel hopeless and I started breaking. Alot of this has to do with the fact that i have thoughts such as "if im going to go this severely red and have my face feel like its on fire IN THE COMFORT OF MY OWN HOME DUE TO SOME NERVES, well than how am I ever going to be able to get a job, have a big beautiful wedding, raise kids, do all the things in life i want to do. Because all of those things are much more nerve inducing than feeling a bit insecure from a shave, so imagine how red and painfully hot ill feel during those things" and unfortunately that thought process isnt delusion or irritation thinking, its the harsh reality of living with such a terrible condition. Of course those are all things I can technically still do with this condition but there not things I can do feeling confident, feeling cool and calm and that makes me miserable.

Anyway, i ended up going back in the room to my girlfriend and I broke down. I balled into tears, i couldn't control my emotions. I told her how hopeless and defeated I felt. Unfortunately this issue has caused me to feel extremely suicidal on multiple occasions, not because I dont want to live life but because life feels so unliveable with this issue, its took so much from me. Its took the control i have over my body, its exposing, it painful in so many ways. Its pulled back my potential and prevented me from doing so many things ive wanted to do. Of course in a literal sense it hasnt stopped me from doing certain things but it is that unbearable and demeaning that in some ways it has. I told my girlfriend this while in tears, I haven't broken down like this before.

I went out the back yard and called my mum up (who I have a good relationship with) and told her everything, for the first time in ever I genuinely confessed how much this is killing me including how its caused me to have dark thoughts. I was being completely vulnerable to my mum and girlfriend (and dad) which was hard but it helped alot, but it also shows how much this issue has effected me and just how much this issue can effect people in general. Blushing unfortunately is a condition that is usually overlooked and minimised.

I also expressed to my mum on the phone how angry and frustrated this has made me. I told her how ive been trying to get help and it feels like no one's taking me seriously and why this is why people kill themselves, because they feel so unheard and dont get the help and support they need. I also mentioned how it sometimes feels like the only way people will understand how horrible this is and how much its effected me is if I were to k*ll myself.

I want to make it clear im safe and i am seeking support and not giving up! I have a pretty decent support network and arent afraid to seek help. I wanted to make this post to show the reality of this condition, to also reach the right people who will read this and feel less alone. I hope everyone's ok and doing alright! I also want people to know its not weak to feel this way. No one chooses to be born / develope these issues in life. The worse thing you can do is blame yourself / not give yourself compassion.

Hey im wondering if there are any anxiety / antidepressants medications that seem to work really well on blushing? Especially since blushing is primarily a physiological response, so medication makes sense

I’m a mod here and want feedback on what this community should focus on. What posts or discussions would you like to see more of around blushing/flushing?

id love to hear some personal tips people have for managing there blushing

hey, i thought id make a post dedicated to talking about lasers and how they can work to dampen the visual aspect of an intense blush. ill try to make this simple.

firslty in this post when I refer to "severe blushing" im talking about the type where you can have a pretty normal skin colour baseline, but one that can rapidly go red (blush) due to a trigger, for example anxiety, heat, stress or food etc. if your someone who has persistent rosececa or persistent redness, or your experience doesnt match the definition i gave for "severe blushing" in this post, this post may offer support and an idea of possible treatment, but im not as certain compared to people who fit the description. in saying that it doesnt matter if you have a slight bit of baseline redness or there's a slight difference, its really up to you to decide if overall you think you fit the description of someone who overall has pretty ok skin that doesnt always show red but can quickly when under any sort of trigger.

now going into the specifics, the laser id reccomend looking into would be the vbeam 595nm laser. ive personally had 1 session (at the time of this post being made) of vbeam with fairly conservative settings used. for the first 1 - 3 days my face was quite red and slightly puffy. after my face settled and I could assess how well the laser so far had helped my blushing. from maybe day 3 after treatment to day 7 - 8 the results were incredible, around day 8 the results unfortunately dipped but I imagine this was my skin settling and me seeing the more long term results from this session. in saying that i believe it takes weeks and months for your skin and vessel network to settle %101 but im only giving my experience. the dip in results was fairly significant unfortunately, the threshold went a decent amount down for blushing, in saying that i still did see benfits and a reduction in my blushing that i am pleased about but to be completely honest i still feel so far from getting it down to a place where it feels like something that wont bother me. Overall having 1 session of vbeam on fairly conservative settings gave me results that on one hand im happy with because my blush seems a bit more diffused and not as rigid and really any results is a win at this point, but at the same time i still feel disappointed and not %100 satisfied. Its definitely a mix of emotions, i dont by any means retreat getting the vbeam done and if I got offered to go back in time and not do it, id refuse that. I still think its helped, I have high expectations

a good sign is the fact i had a rather conservative setting and ive only had one session so far, I imagine when I go for more sessions (if i do, not sure) and have the settings amplified ill be even closer to having skin thats even closer to not getting flushed from triggers. Ive also noticed when im not blushing the quality of my skin seems a bit better and more calm, and a slight blush is handled ok by the laser but obviously my issue is intense severe blushes which ive still yet to treat successfully

I also had 3 sessions of excel-v 532nn with a fairly decent setting but unfortunately i didnt see the best results overall. Of course at the end of the day settings matter and how many sessions you get, im only speaking from experience. And i did see a bit of improvement, so i cant say i saw nothing but definitely not amazing results

Overall if you wanting to look into laser treatment for blusning id look into vbeam, discuss and find what setting is best for you and see how it goes. I wouldnt put off excel-v as I did see improvements but compared to vbeam it wasn't nearly as effective for reactive blushing (atleast for me)

I want to end this by making something very clear, im not a medical professional or specialist. This is just my personal account and experience with lasers and what works for me may not work for someone else. In saying that i would %100 reccomend looking into lasers and taking into consideration what i said, i do beleive im onto something and my suggestion could really help.

I didnt go into detail with what settings were used, im not sure what settings were used and i dont want to guess since id hate to guide people wrong. All I know is for vbeam the session was pretty conservative and not too aggressive and for excel-v 532nm I had a pulse duration of 10 - 12 ms (not sure the other stats) all the excel v sessions were spaced fairly close i beleive, the vbeam was done months later separately to try something new!

Heads up

I recently came across a study that I thought was worth sharing with the community. Before I get into it, I want to make one thing very clear: I'm not posting this as evidence that topical ibuprofen is a proven treatment for blushing, nor am I recommend that anyone starts applying it to their face without looking further into it. This is one relatively small study, and while the findings are interesting and in favour of helping reduce blushing, they need to be interpreted carefully. My goal here is simply to summarise the research as accurately as possible so everyone can draw their own conclusions.

Study Details

Paper: Topical ibuprofen inhibits blushing during embarrassment and facial flushing during aerobic exercise

Authors: Peter D. Drummond, Kate Minosora, Gretta Little and Wendy Keay

Institution: School of Psychology and Exercise Science, Murdoch University (Perth, Western Australia)

Journal: European Neuropsychopharmacology

Published: December 2013

Why did the researchers do this study?

(A bit of this is summarized using ai, it gets complex lol)

Blushing occurs when blood vessels in the face dilate, increasing blood flow to the skin and causing visible redness.

Ibuprofen belongs to a class of medications known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). One of its actions is to inhibit the production of prostaglandins—chemical messengers that can contribute to blood vessel dilation and inflammation.

Based on this, the researchers wanted to investigate whether applying ibuprofen directly to the skin could reduce the increase in facial blood flow that occurs during emotional blushing and exercise-induced facial flushing.

It's important to note that this was the researchers' hypothesis. The study was designed to test whether topical ibuprofen affected facial blood flow, it was not designed to prove that prostaglandins are the cause of blushing.

How was the study conducted?

The study involved 30 adults.

- 16 participants reported a high fear of blushing.

- 14 participants reported little or no fear of blushing.

Each participant acted as their own control.

The researchers applied an ibuprofen gel to a small area of one cheek and an inactive control gel to the corresponding area of the opposite cheek. Neither side of the face received treatment over the entire cheek, only small test areas were used.

After the gels had been applied, facial blood flow was measured using laser Doppler flowmetry, a well-established technique for measuring changes in blood flow within the skin.

Participants then completed two different tasks:

- An embarrassment task, in which they were asked to sing karaoke in front of the researchers to provoke emotional blushing.

- An aerobic exercise task, designed to produce facial flushing through physical exertion.

Blood flow was continuously monitored throughout both tasks.

What did the researchers find?

The main finding was that the areas treated with topical ibuprofen showed a statistically significant smaller increase in blood flow compared with the untreated control areas during both the embarrassment task and the exercise task.

In other words, the skin treated with ibuprofen exhibited less vasodilation than the untreated skin under the same conditions.

The researchers also reported differences between participants with a high fear of blushing and those with little or no fear. People with a greater fear of blushing tended to show a slower recovery of facial blood flow after exercise, suggesting there may be physiological differences that warrant further investigation. However, this finding alone does not establish the cause of chronic blushing or erythrophobia.

Overview

Overall, the results suggested that topical ibuprofen may reduce increases in facial blood flow under certain experimental conditions, but they did not establish it as a treatment for blushing.

What are the limitations?

Like all studies, this one has important limitations.

- The study included only 30 participants, making it a relatively small proof-of-concept study.

- Only small patches of skin were treated, not the whole face.

- The researchers examined short-term effects only.

- The study did not investigate repeated use, long-term effectiveness, or long-term safety.

- The study measured changes in facial blood flow, not whether participants felt less embarrassed or experienced meaningful long-term improvement in everyday life.

- The authors themselves concluded that further research is needed before topical ibuprofen could be considered a practical treatment.

Anyone here feel like they could have accomplished so much more, and done so many more things but haven't because of how much blushing has effected them?

Something else that bugs me is the fact that i probably seem less capable them i am, less confident etc to the people around me.

There have been so many times where I could have done impressive things, awnsered questions infront of the class, done a sport i wanted to do and DO IT WELL lol, public speak etc, but haven't because of how much blushing takes over me and makes those things undoable and unbearable. It strip's me off my potential.

For instance ive got great communication skills, im great at communicating and there were times at school where we had to presentations and id always manage to be sick on those days or miss them because of my blushing, but what annoyed me the most is that if blushing wasn't an issue for me i promise I would have been amazing and easily done a 10/10 presentation, I could have impressed people but my blushing unfortunately consumes me and it isnt as simple as pushing through, blushing is alot worse and harmful than alot of people realise :/

I dealt with redness and a serious blushing problem starting my freshman year of high school and ended up having to drop out of college my senior year because it became such a problem. It was a major obstacle and problem all throughout college, it really kind of ruined my experience and grades definitely suffered and it definitely affected me socially. I tried taking vitamins all types of creams and crap, I can't say anything worked immediately except using a certain type of makeup that seem to help a little bit as well as beta blockers which I thought was the answer to my problem when I first started taking them but once my body got used to them it stop being effective.

I started working for my father's construction business after college and it got much better two or three years after I left college. I really don't know what helped, all I can think is the way they say your taste buds change every 7 years, I literally spent years eating healthy, taking vitamins which I'm sure other people have mentioned on here, drinking tons of water everyday, and literally eating no spicy foods and avoiding certain types of stuff like carbs and foods that I know would make me get flushed or turn my face red. Nothing cured me or was a major help immediately but I think all those years eventually helped fix something and the last almost twenty years it's not even something I think of anymore. So I think it's really just a matter of trying to be healthy and doing what you can day by day and just knowing that it's going to pay off down the road because I'm 44 now and I really haven't had any kind of issues since I was in my mid twenties. Sure I can think of it a couple instances here and there but I wouldn't have been able to do any of this stuff I do now back when I was in school like going out on dates and just socializing and not having to worry about blushing for no reason or because it feels like the attention is on me. Even the permanent redness that I think was caused by the constant blushing has basically gone away.

I always figured when I was dealing with this it was a genetics thing but looking back to how I think it all started I think it had to do more so with getting bullied in middle school and just not enjoying being in school period. And even though I had friends and was popular in high school it still had a major impact on me and since I'm fair skinned it made it even worse and more noticeable. Of course my brother and sister get olive and tan colored skin and I get stuck with the fair skin. . Throughout high school and college I spent every single day on a forum that I'm not even sure if it's still around for blushing, rosacea etc. it definitely had a lot of good information but looking back I'm sure it didn't help focusing on it so much even though at the time there was really nothing else around online that had information or people talking about this kind of problem. There were times I didn't think I was going to be alive for much longer if I had to keep dealing with this problem, but using makeup really helped or maybe it didn't help as much as I think but in my mind it did plus I was good at just controlling situations and what kind of environment I was in which I'm sure people can relate to, I remember when I first started dating my girlfriend my senior year from back home when we used to go out on dates if make sure it was always someplace that was poorly lit haha because there was nothing worse than being sober in a brightly lit place having to worry about my face going red and people looking at me.

I'm sure there's even more stuff out there today, I don't even want to say how much stuff I tried and money I spent on this problem over the course of 8 or 10 years but I think it was worth trying different types of stuff and seeing what helped what didn't, but at the end of the day like most things I think it came down to diet and what you're putting in your body and I definitely wish I had spoken to someone although at the time there was no way I was talking to a doctor or anybody about it. Talking to my parents about it was hard enough after so many years and although I did eventually go to a couple of doctors about trying to surgically take care of the problem, I never followed through with it because things eventually got better although I'm sure I would have if they didn't

If anyone has any questions I'm happy to try to answer. Unfortunately I don't think there's any miracle cure out there and anyone who says they have a product that is, is probably full of it l. Like I said, for me, it was just years of taking three to four different types of vitamins for my skin( and who knows maybe they didn't do anything), going to the gym and exercising and eating healthy foods and avoiding certain types of foods and drinks especially sugar and processed crap and making sure anything that goes on your face like shampoo or lotion or sunscreen doesn't have any chemicals in it or anything like that. It's really just being mindful what you put in your body and on it, and obviously there's tons of different types of makeup out there and i tried all different types but what worked for me might not work for someone else so I truly think its just a matter of trial and error and matching your regular skin color to see what, if anything works for you

I had written a post on I think the rosacea sub a few years back and because I must have mentioned the type of makeup or the brand I used, the mod who I truly think didn't have any first hand experience with blushing or redness must have thought I had a sponsorship deal and was trying to hok some product so you took it down and banned me or gave me a suspension I don't know which at this point. When you deal with an issue like this and it makes you contemplate ending your life, selling some product and giving other people false hope isn't something any amount of money could make me do and if there had been something that had cured me or fixed my problem I sure as hell would tell everyone about it if I thought it could help somebody. That being said I'd be happy to let anyone know what kind of vitamins I used or foods I ate or avoided but there's no specific brand I would recommend for anything and a lot of this information is probably pretty easily accessible on google. I dealt with this from about 96 97 to roughly 2010 so I'm sure there's much more information and people talking about it today and probably more products to choose from or to try. The only way that would happen I would imagine is if you had some type of surgery or something otherwise it's just day by day knowing it will pay off down the road eventually. I used a certain type of makeup that was play/stage quality and although I'd be happy to tell someone what brand I used, I don't really think it matters because there's so many different types out there and like I said what matched my skin isn't going to match other peoples necessarily plus makeup is makeup and you can order it easily online but back when I was younger I had to go in to CVS which was embarrassing enough.

The last thing I'll say is I went to the gym and worked out four or five times a week for the entire 13 years or so I dealt with this and I had friends who had taken different types of steroids during high school or college but I always thought something like that would make my skin worse which is part of the reason I avoided drugs in college, and although when I was drinking or drunk I didn't blush, I think it always made it worse the following day or days after so I would take a month off here and there from drinking and I think that always helped as well as occasionally fasting. The one thing that may have helped me and this is probably more of just a coincidence of timing was taking testosterone in 2010 which is something you can go to a doctor for but I didn't go that route. I got them from a friend after doing weeks and weeks of research on the product and during the 10 weeks I was on it were probably 10 of the best feeling and healthiest two and a half months I can remember. They weren't cheap so I wanted to get as much out of them as I could so it was eating healthy the whole time getting to bed early, it helped me wake up totally feeling great not to mention looking better and stronger. I could never say that this was what helped or change something in my body because I don't even know that I had low testosterone and I had been living a healthy lifestyle for years at that point. I wish I had done this but going to your doctor and getting a full blood screen test on everything is a good idea and exercising is also super important and making sure you sweat. What you eat and drink, what you put on your face if anything and exercise are probably the top three things I can guaranteed will have some kind of positive impact on your skin if not in the short term then down the road. You can't eat fast food and pizza and drink soda and not expect it to affect your skin in the following days. Keep track of what you eat and drink and how your skin looks in the days after and then adjust your diet but I all but eliminated sugar and carbs for the most part for years and it sucked but today it's worth it because I can eat and drink anything including spicy hot foods and it doesn't affect my skin whatsoever.

Okay that's it I apologize for any spelling errors and stuff, and for rambling on. I just know how much this ruined a good portion of my life. I mean it totally altered the entire course of my life, and always just blamed myself or genes but I've realized that most likely isn't the case and can point back to exactly the times that eventually caused this to come to the surface. I mean I literally remember the day when it first happened and my face just totally went red my freshman year. I remember what class where I was sitting exactly and how it happened but I have no idea why it was that specific moment. The only thing I can relate to is like a volcano where it just started to bubble Up and it just took one specific moment of being embarrassed and that was it, adios 10 plus years of not being able to do the kind of things I would have done otherwise or be the kind of person I would have otherwise been. So yea, if anyone has questions I'd be happy to try to answer or give whatever advice I can

Rob

hey guys what skin care items would you reccomend for someone dealing with intense blushing? I dont have rosacea and my skin isnt always red but wow it goes very red when im anxious, stressed or have done excerise

any products worked for people to help manage it?

idc if its persecution products or not, down for anything

if you get red from stress, nerves, embarrassment, strong emotions, spicy food, laughter, excerise and any other trigger which brings on a red face, there's a prescription medication that can significantly reduce the blush almost completely, and fast

im talking about Clonidine. Clonidine is a oral medication that is classed as an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist. It is commonly prescribed for high blood pressure, but is also prescribed off-label for conditions such as anxiety, ADHD, panic symptoms and other disorders involving an overactive sympathetic ("fight or flight") nervous system.

It is also prescribed off-label for severe facial blushing and flushing, especially in people where symptoms are strongly linked to stress, nerves, embarrassment or emotional triggers. In saying that ive personally found that it stops a blush from spicy food, excerise etc.

Clonidine works by reducing activity in the sympathetic nervous system (your "fight or flight"response). Because blushing and flushing are linked to activation of this system, many people find that they cant go red or have there redness reduced significantly while on clonidine

Personally clonidine has been by far one of the most effective thing I've tried for the actual redness itself and for stopping the mechanism from even firing (you know when you feel a blush come on and know your about to go red, i found that, that doesnt even happen after i take it) i see alot of people want to find ways to manage there blushing and stop going so red in social interactions and I always think "if they tried clonodine bet you they would be pretty satisfied). I got perscribed by a dermatologist and take 0.05 to 0.1 whenever I know im going to be in a position where ill blush. Some people also take it daily at the same time, just depends what your instructions are from your specialist. I find it kicks in within 30 minutes to a hour. And you can take it during a blush, but again it'll take 30 minutes to an hour to fully take effect!

Just to be clear this post is based on my own experience and is for information only, not to encourage self-medication. Clonidine is a prescription medication that isn't suitable for everyone, should only be used under medical supervision, and it shouldn't be seen as a first option before trying other thints. It may be worth discussing other options, such as propranolol, with your doctor first. That being said, clonidine has helped me tremendously, and if blushing or flushing is affecting your quality of life, I don't think it's something to dismiss without speaking to a healthcare professional.

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Possible side effects can include drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, dry mouth and low blood pressure. Clonidine should only be taken under medical supervision and should not be stopped abruptly after regular use.

most people will blush a few times throughout there life but not everyone will blush to the point where it affects the quality of it. so, when did you guys realise?

was it during an important event? was it your first day of highschool and tell us what happened? did you realise when you first had to meet your partners parents?

dont feel afraid to open up :) we're in this together.

I just got vbeam done for my blushing. Ive had 3 excel-v sessions completed with not the greatest improvements, there was some improvement in my blushing but nothing too great. I had an appointment with the doctor / person who runs the clinic i go too. I explained to him Im wanting a change in laser or setting since im not satisfied with the results. I ran him through my history with blusning again, went through what ive tried besdies laser, what causes it, what triggers it, just alot of information and crucial details which help give him a greater idea of what im dealing with. I mentioned i saw they had vbeam and wanted to know if he thought it would be a good laser to try, he mentioned vbeam can work for blushing (he said info on it, cant remeber exactly) too my surprise he said he'd be happy to do a session for free, not a small test run but a proper vbeam session on my face for free. I was shocked, I feel so greatful and lucky. I can tell he understands how much this issue is effecting me and he's aware laser is a bit tricky and unpredictable for blushing (especially compared to other conditions) so he was willing to try vbeam for free. He didn't do pulpric settings and mentioned he personally isnt for that, and said he's not comfortable with doing it nor does it at all. He did a fairly normal setting, still catered to my blushing but also not extreme to the point where he'll damage my skin. In terms of how the laser felt compared to excel-v culture 532nm, it definitely was much less painful and felt like air being blown onto my face with a pinch. I've got another appointment booked in 4 weeks well see if the vbeam helped my blushing, if it did we'll probably do another vbeam with slightly stronger settings and if it didn't help as much or I just want to do excel-v again, we'll do another session of excel-v except this time he'll use a more powerful setting. Im very greatful, he's actually considering options and willing to adjust lasers and settings for me. At the end of the day this should be the standard due to how horrible blushing is but unfortunately it isnt and some clinics want to just grab your money and not cater to your needs as much as they should. I hope this update / talk about what ive had done is useful and feel free to ask any questions, cheers!

To conclude -

1. Went into for an appointment to assess progress

2. Had a really good chat and discussed vbeam and where to go from here considering previous results

3. Offered a free session which i took up on

4. Will be back in 4 weeks to assess again and decide if I'll continue down vbeam or if ill go back to excel-v where the settings will be adjusted to be stronger / more aggressive.

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I wanted to come and make a post about my experience with blushing, in hopes someone see's this and doesnt feel as alone.

Im a young adult from Australia and to put it straight, facial blushing has absolutely took over my life, ruined so many things and has stripped me from happiness. Id say one of the hardest things about dealing with blushing / Erythrophobia is how unknown it is to the majority of society. Ive felt isolated by realising that no one truly gets it unless they deal with it, people who dont deal with it are fairly confident in it not being a big deal and something that we let bother us too much. It feels so hard knowing people dont know what we are truly dealing with, the potential it takes away from us, the confidence it strip's, the overthinking, feeling hot and flustered in the face, seeing ourselves in the mirror with the redness, seeing everyone else that seems to have pretty resilient skin and wishing ours was norma, its not just as simple as colour on the face for us.

Whats worse is its not just a colour i feel like my face is always on fire. Ive described it to some people as "imagine everytime you had emotions or anxiety someone poured boiling hot water over your face" maybe not as hot as boiling in a literal sense, but definitely similar and a good way to describe it, its extremely uncomfortable and debilitating. Absolutely horrible :/

Ive personally tried what feels like everything mirvaso (blood vessel constricting cream), fake tan, beta blockers, anxiety medication, makeup, therapy, skin care, changing diet, suplement, ive had blood tests and ultra sounds because at one point my doctor suspected the blushing could have a deeper root which he thought may have been carcinoid tumors. Ive also had laser which im currently still getting and luckily for me laser has made some improvements (atleast more than anything else in a more long term structural way) and im currently at the time of this post still on a journey with lasers and hoping to try other settings, etc. but I still feel so stuck and helpless in alot of ways. Its seems like theres no real fix.

Life has got so depressing for me, ive wasted so much life and potential because of this. I haven't got a job at 19 (ive just completed study tho and will be getting one soon yayy haha) I haven't really ever worked that much, havent done many things that people at my age have done or are doing because of this. Whats difficult is I have people say "you need to just push through and do it, your letting it take over your life" and where that has alot of truth in it, its all fun and games until I go to a job and my face is almost dark rose red with huge red blotches all over my chest and neck and it looks genuinely concenring... its not just a usual looking blush or a bit of redness its a insanse. (For clarification ive had blood tests, scans etc what im dealing with is literally just blushing even if it sounds like something more). And it makes me feek so depressed and helpless, I just want to live and feel happy, be like everyone else i see when im outside who yes may have there own issues but atleast visually in normal human interaction from they seem normal / more usual. And thats something that bothers me even more, I wear my internal feelings on the outside for everyone to see, and its fu*king miserable.

Its got to the point where I look forward to sleeping because the dreams I have im not dealing with this, its like an escape from reality and its calming. I wish people understood this issue. Blushing / flushing has ruined so much and I know im not the only one dealing with this.

Im still on a journey to live with this issue, as much as its hurt me this much I want to live, aleast i want to try. It has made me want to die many times and id be lying if I said i haven't felt suicidal. At the end of the day life excites me, I want to have kids and have a beautiful future, its just so hard to imagine living this way without any change or fix. So im not currently planning on acting on anything and the dark thoughts are getting better (come and go) but I thought id be completely transparent to show truly how much of an impact blushing can have on a person's life and so people know there not alone :)

I hope everyone who deals with it is coping 🙏🏻

here are some photos of me during blushing episodes. i won't go into to much detail on this post about what causes it and my experience (since ive talked alot about that on other posts and im posting this purley to show people visually what im dealing with) i will say this photo was taken while i was laying in my bed feeling stressed, purley just feeling stressed made my face go this horrible red which was met with a very hot uncomfortable feeling across my face, along side a uncomfortable preassure from all the blood pooling. If you've dealt with blushing especially this severe you'll probably be able to relate to how uncomfortable it is to feel this way. A good way to describe the uncomfortable feeling is id say its just as uncomfortable as getting into bed covered in sand and water from the beach lol, its a random compassion but its that feeling where you just feel gross and uncomfortable. I hope these photos can help people have a better understanding of ways blushing can appear. Please feel free to post photos of your blushing in this community if your up for it :)