Blushing: Why Do Your Cheeks Turn Red?

Blushing is a direct result of your 'Fight or Flight' system. When you feel embarrassed, ashamed, or even romantically attracted to someone, your brain perceives it as a social 'threat.'

This triggers a surge of adrenaline, which speeds up your heart rate and widens your blood vessels to prepare your body for action.

Specifically, the veins in your face are very sensitive to adrenaline. This chemical causes them to dilate, or open wide. As the vessels expand, they allow more blood to flow close to the surface of the skin.

Because blood is bright red, the extra volume showing through your skin makes your cheeks, ears, and sometimes your neck look flushed or rosy.

Scientists believe blushing evolved as a way to show others that we recognize we’ve made a mistake. It is an 'honest signal' because you cannot control it on purpose.

By blushing, you are non-verbally saying 'I'm sorry' or 'I’m embarrassed,' which helps keep peace within a social group and makes others more likely to forgive you.

Interestingly, it isn't just your face that changes color. Because the response is systemic, the lining of your stomach also turns red during an embarrassing moment!