My face gets BRIGHT red when working out. Help!

24

Replies

  • PA21
    PA21 Posts: 95 Member
    Great advice everyone!
    May I add that it is good for your skin as well? It is basically blood rushing to the surface of your skin, which increases your circulation, which brings all the good stuff in your blood to your skin, so you are getting sort of an "inner facial!" It's another great benefit of cardio/working out, great skin!
    On a personal note, during my workouts, I don't turn bright red- I get ghostly white in my cheeks and forehead, and I get a bright red "ring" around the rest of my face, like some weird mask! Ew! But my trainer loves it. He says he can tell when I'm working really hard!
    Make sure you aren't working too hard! Do you have a heart rate monitor?
  • xoleyam
    xoleyam Posts: 1
    Same thing happens to me. I actually just got done working out now and was just at the gym at people kept looking at me! I am in shape but my beat red face while working out, no matter how much more exercise I get then others, makes me feel like I am less in shape. I feel fine when I'm working out until I see my BRIGHT RED FACE! It makes me feel like I shouldn't work out as hard but I don't want to compromise my body for my embarrassing red face!
  • amandajones1978
    amandajones1978 Posts: 140
    Fair-skinned redhead here, too! It happens to me all the time. I also sweat like crazy when I'm working out. As long as you FEEL good then you're fine :) just make sure to stay hydrated!

    I am the exact same way....I get red-faced and I sweat like crazy! My first workout my trainer asked if I was ok, now he knows what I look like when I'm going hardcore!

    If you still look cute at the end of your workout, then you didnt train hard enough. :)
  • KelliH729
    KelliH729 Posts: 208 Member
    I'm in the same boat, red hair and pale skin. I've read that taking antihistamines helps, but I don't think it's worth it. I usually just go with it. I figure that I probably look weird, but they're probably just jealous at how awesome my workout is :P

    Plus red hair is awesome :P

    Yes, yes and YES :)

    I have the same issue, red hair, pale skin (aside from freckles).
  • bunbunzee44
    bunbunzee44 Posts: 592 Member
    same here. pale skin, I get red reallly easily. I just try not to let it bother me :3
    I've also dyed my hair red... xD fits me because I have freckles too :D:blushing:
  • rmarie98
    rmarie98 Posts: 36 Member
    thought I was the only one... after like 10min of jogging, my face looks redder than a tomato! I have asthma thought so that might be it... :)
  • Laura42012
    Laura42012 Posts: 180 Member
    Maybe they're wondering if they're not working hard enough?
  • kaylemartin
    kaylemartin Posts: 235 Member
    Happens to me too, I just make a joke out of it
  • sarahxcx
    sarahxcx Posts: 26 Member
    Yip me too, fair skin and hair, end up with a face like a tomato when I work out, my OH does like to tease, but least I know if my face is red I have had a good work out.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Yep yep - bright red face here too! UGH! :mad: I was hoping it'd get better when I lost some weight and got more in shape - but you guys aren't giving me much hope!
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    I don't have pale skin and it happens to me, my husband tells me I look like a tomato.
  • aerochic42
    aerochic42 Posts: 843 Member
    Yep red face, and often other parts of the body as well when exercising, cold or hot. Since red face is a symptom for so many other things, get to know your coloring. Look at yourself under different lighting in the mirror in the various stages of red, so you know what looks normal and when things are off, like sickness, heat exhaustion, forgetting to breathe (I do that when I go up stairs and pushups), sun poisoning/sun stroke. When I overheat or really get dehydrated I turn almost maroon/purple, very bad for me. Luckily husband has learned the difference and can yell me before it gets worse.
  • JimLeonardRN
    JimLeonardRN Posts: 296 Member
    I am one of those fair skinned folks that turn red at the least lil thing......As long as your heart rate is good and you dont feel like you are over exerting dont worry about it.
  • StheK
    StheK Posts: 443 Member
    haha. happens to me too and i am olive skinned. I like it though, I think it makes me look hardcore. lol

    Me too :)
  • ladybird1771
    ladybird1771 Posts: 99 Member
    I'm fair-skinned and light-brunette, I turn VERY red when running, and for about half an hour after I stop! Once I went purple! Don't worry about it :) I also blush easily, it's probably just our curse of being a tomato-face :) xx
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    Ice pack to the face? I turn red when I get warm too. Don't take a drug for it. It's your body's way of dumping excess heat.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    Wear a red shirt to work out in. Makes you look less red. Also works if you played hooky from work to go to the beach and got sunburned.
  • lisamlucas82
    lisamlucas82 Posts: 11
    It is nice to know someone else deals with this too, because I am the same way I think we need to come up with a new word other than BRIGHT lol.... and it takes FOREVER to go away. I have learned to ignore the stares. :) Keep on Keepin on! :)
  • Bridget0927
    Bridget0927 Posts: 438 Member
    I get this too, I like to run and I get really red and really sweaty. Same with when I do bootcamp. I used to get embarassed then I realized that if you look cute when your leaving the gym you didnt push yourself hard enough! I see it as a badge of honor :-)
  • moustache_flavored_lube
    moustache_flavored_lube Posts: 849 Member
    Take an antihistamine right before working out. It works on the blood vessels to keep you from turning red. I read that trick in either fitness magazine, or women's health (cant remember which!). I'm very fair skinned too :flowerforyou:

    A preworkout supplement with NIacin should also help
  • Tuala42
    Tuala42 Posts: 274 Member
    Same here, fair skinned, blush easily, turn bright red when jogging. My neighbor stopped me on the street once when I was jogging, he was concerned that I was having a heat stroke.
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    This redhead turns super red at the drop of a hat. No worries.
  • rob1976
    rob1976 Posts: 1,328 Member
    I can see other gym goers sneaking peaks
    Call the police! Sneaking peeks is fine, but don't ever let them touch yer bewbs...
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I'm pretty much the same way. If you're doing strength training, be sure you're not performing a valsalva (holding your breath while trying to exhale). This causes a lot of blood to rush to the head. Clench your core and keep the airway open.
  • fixingxkarma
    fixingxkarma Posts: 9 Member
    oh my gosh I thought I was alone. I have pale skin but rather than red hair, I'm a blonde. I have this weird mask think going on that sort of makes me look like a raccoon when I'm working out. I'll get red but around my mouth and eyes I'm ghostly white. Weird, right? I'm just glad I'm not the only one who turns bright red. I always thought there was something wrong with me. Haha. I also have sports induced asthma so that is something to take into consideration. If I don't use my inhaler before any strenuous activities, I can turn fire engine red or close to purple. I'm trying to get over the embarrassment of the redness as well as my constant blushing.
  • jedibunny
    jedibunny Posts: 321
    PALE SKINNED MFPALS UNITE

    tumblr_m6ujam1eZX1qery84.jpg


    ...that is to say, I turn red as a beet whenever exercising, standing in sunlight, or performing other exciting activities. It's ridiculous.
  • jtndle
    jtndle Posts: 54 Member
    Another chiming in to say you are not alone! I'm always really red in the face when I exercise. It is embarrassing at times but I've pretty much gotten over it. Helps that when I picked up running my long run partner is fair and goes red in the face too!

    Throughout the years I've had people ask me if I am ok after/during a workout - that is how bad I look. Oh, well!
  • IntoTheSky
    IntoTheSky Posts: 390 Member
    Me too. Only, I am dark skinned with brown hair. I don't sweat much, and I think that maybe it is my body temperature. But, I come home from a run and am nearly purple faced. I have had people want to take me to ER at the gym. I don't know why it does it, but it looks HORRIBLE and like I am about to have a heart attack.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    Though I try to exercise pretty hard and am starting a running program, I'm not gasping for air or about to keel over. But my face makes it look like I am.

    I'm also fair skinned, and I have the same thing happen to me. People actually ask me if I'm OK.
  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    my turns almost purple. It does not stop me. I dont care if people stare.
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