How Can I Stop Blushing?
If you’re interested in learning how to stop blushing, it might be useful to remember that blushing does serve an important purpose in some circumstances. When we blush, we make others aware of our feelings so that they can modify their behavior in an appropriate manner. Blushing helps communicate the emotions that we might be too afraid to verbally express. As Mark Twain once wrote, “Man is the only animal that blushes or needs to.” If you want to stop blushing, the first step is to make sure that your condition doesn’t have a verifiable medical cause. Blushing is often confused with the flushing caused by side effects of prescription drugs, rosacea, menopause, or other disorders. Discussing your symptoms with your doctor can help you determine if there is a physical reason for your blushing. However, the difficulty in finding a way to stop blushing lies in the fact that there are three separate problems to address: the physical reaction of blushing, the fear of situations that cause
Blushing can be a sign of ‘social anxiety’ – inner worry affects your nervous system, which controls the blood vessels in your face, and makes them widen, which causes the appearance of blushing. But don’t worry, blushing doesn’t do your skin any harm. And, of course, there’s a vicious circle here – the more you worry about blushing, the worse it is likely to become. Counselling, which can help you to understand why you are worried, and also teach you how to relax in social situations, would probably be your best first approach. Tablets are also available from your GP which can help stop blood vessels dilating, and so help stop blushing. If the problem persists, and it really is bothering you, then there is an operation that can be done – a sympathectomy ¿ that cuts the nerve that controls the blood vessels in the face. For this, you’ll have to ask your GP to refer you to a specialist surgeon.
Yes, there is an operation which can help to stop blushing. When you blush the tiny blood vessels in the skin of the face widen – which causes the reddened appearance. This widening is under the control of the part of the nervous system, known as the sympathetic nervous system. The operation involves cutting these sympathetic nerves. It’s similar to the operation that can be done to stop sweating, and the nerves are cut in the chest, via keyhole surgery. However, do you really need to resort to such a drastic solution? I suspect your blushing isn’t nearly as noticeable as you think it is – you are just very sensitive to it. And even if you do blush – does it really matter? After all, a little colour in your cheeks can actually be very attractive. Blushing is usually a sign of lack of confidence, and shyness, and before you go anywhere near a surgeon I’d advice you to see a counsellor, to sort out any underlying reasons for your apprehension and anxiety. A good counsellor should also be
