Whenever a person becomes too hot, their blood vessels will naturally widen in order to cool them down. This natural response may result in the appearance of flushed skin.

While flushed skin in hot temperatures isn’t too much to be concerned about, it could be the sign of pending heat exhaustion or heat stroke if coupled with difficulty breathing, exhaustion, or confusion.

Experiencing strong and intense emotions can result in the blood vessels of your face widening, resulting in a flushed appearance. Anger, stress, and embarrassment are some of the most common emotions associated with blushing.

This is a completely normal response by your nervous system and can be severe in the event that you routinely experience high levels of anxiety. Along with a flushed face, these intense emotions often bring about sweating and warmth in your upper neck and face.

Rosacea is a common chronic inflammatory condition that will result in the blood vessels of your face swelling and therefore becoming more visible. While this condition is generally temporary, it is known to flare up occasionally. Although anyone can have rosacea, it seems to appear more commonly in women that are middle aged and have fair skin.

Along with flushing, people with rosacea might also experience red bumps filled with pus, dry eyes, swollen eyelids, and thickened skin on their nose.

Having your face flush with redness whenever you drink alcohol is a condition known as alcohol flushing syndrome.

If you experience flushing or redness after a few drinks of alcohol, it’s most likely because your body is having trouble completely digesting the alcohol. People who flush whenever they drink most likely have a faulty aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) gene. This enzyme in your body is responsible for breaking down a substance found in alcohol called acetaldehyde.

If your ALDH2 gene is not properly breaking down the acetaldehyde, then it may result in a red face and other symptoms such as upset stomach, hives, low pressure, headache, and elevated heart rate.

Women experiencing menopause will also routinely experience hot flashes, which are sudden and intense rushes of heat. They are the result of a hormonal change that affects the part of the brain responsible for controlling the body’s temperature.

Hot flashes will typically result in flushing of your face, chest, and neck, but can also include an elevated heart rate, intense sweating, and chills once the hot flash has passed.

Whenever you are performing strenuous exercise, your heart rate will speed up and increase your flow of blood.

While this will contribute to a mild increase of redness to the face of just about everyone, it can be much more severe in certain people. The blood vessels in your skin will dilate when accommodating the flow of blood that is increased during exercise. This dilation can cause your cells to open and release their contents.

While these contents will vary from person to person, it may include a fatty compound known as prostaglandin, which can contribute to the redness experienced both from exercising and an emotional reaction.

Facial flushing that is the result of hot or spicy foods is more akin to a minor allergic reaction. Certain foods such as hot spicy herbs, seasonings, vinegars, spices, hot sauces, and peppers are all known to act like vascular dilators and expand the blood vessels, often resulting in flushing.