With only the smallest amount of alcohol some of my Asian friends will blush bright red whereas my European friends will stay pale. Why is this so? To answer this question you need to look at history:

Hundreds of years ago water was not safe to drink. People lived in unclean societies where sewage would spill out onto the street, filth would be everywhere and because of this disease easily spread throughout the population. This meant the people did not drink water as it was full of bacteria and if drank, it could lead to illness or even death. So humans had to develop an alternative drink to quench their thirst.

European cultures adopted alcohol beverages as their substitute to water. This killed off most of the bacteria in the water making it safe to drink. Because Europeans consumed lots of alcohol over the centuries they ended up developing an enzyme in their bodies which made them more tolerant to alcohol.

Contrast this to East Asian cultures where drinking boiled water with tea became the substitute. Like adding alcohol, when you boil water you manage to kill off the bacteria in the liquid. However because of this, East Asian people never managed to develop the enzyme which would have enabled them to tolerate alcohol.

Even today some Asian people will still blush fully red in the face with only the smallest amounts of alcohol. So next time you see a red faced asian at a bar, you’ll have a good idea as to why.

Technorati Tags: alcohol, asians, blushing, facial blushing, facial flushing, flushing, stop blushing

Blushing is unique to humans and no other animal blushes. So why does blushing exist? Believe it or not, blushing is actually beneficial for us. Think about it from an evolutionary point of view. If blushing were a disadvantage then those who blushed would have been less likely to have children and the gene would not have survived. Instead the blushing gene is still alive and well throughout all humans, a testament to how blushing is actually good for us.

So if blushing is good for us this begs the questions, why is blushing good for us? Well let’s have a look at the following situations and see how blushing may help us:

Embarrassment - if you blush when you’re embarrassed, people will know that you’re feeling uncomfortable about the mistake you just made and so will be less likely to attack you  as they already know you’re down (if they’re your friends that is).

Guilt - if you’re blushing whilst you’re apologizing then people are more likely to forgive you as they know you’re really feeling guilty about what happened.

Anger - red faced anger is a warning sign to others which let’s people know that they shouldn’t provoke or attack you. Red faced anger says you’re not messing about and really will put up a tough fight if someone attacks you.

Love - displaying your true feelings by blushing lets the other person know how you really feel. If you’re too shy to tell the other person yourself then blushing is a good way of letting that person know you’re interested and this can be good as the other person may feel the same way.

So the time you blush think about how your blushing might actually be good for you.

Technorati Tags: blushing, facial blushing, facial flushing, flushing, stop blushing

Two quotes to help you stop blushing:

“Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is”

- German Proverb

“We have nothing to fear but fear itself”

- Franklin D. Roosevelt

How true would you say this is in relation to your blushing? Is your fear of blushing actually more scary than the blushing itself?

Technorati Tags: blushing, facial blushing, facial flushing, fear, flushing, stop blushing

As anyone who has tried to stop blushing knows, there are loads of books on blushing, all promising fantastic advice and easy to use everyday information.  But which ones are worth the money or not?

This list gives the 5 best books that I have found most useful when trying to stop blushing.

1. Coping With Blushing (Paperback)

Coping with Blushing

The top seller on the Amazon.com bestselling list, and for a good reason. Written by a clinical psychologist from the University of Surrey this man knows his stuff and gives excellent relaxation exercises and confidence boosters. Buy this one if you don’t buy anything else on the list!

2. Blushing and the Social Emotions (Hardcover)

Blushing and the Social Emotions

Recommended if you’re looking to investigate the more scientific reasons for blushing. A synthesis of ground breaking research is piled into this book and by the time you’ve finished you’ll know all of your reasons for blushing and how to stop it.

3. Dying of Embarrassment: Help for Social Anxiety & Phobia (Paperback)

Dying of Embarrassment

Focusing on Social Anxieties and Phobias in general, this book will not only help you to stop blushing but also help to cure any other problems you may have. Giving practical guidance on everything from public speaking to answering the telephone. Don’t let your god given talents hold you back because of your fears!

4. Painfully Shy: How to Overcome Social Anxiety and Reclaim Your Life (Paperback)

Painfully Shy

Social anxiety and blushing can be emotionally crippling for sufferers. This excellent resource provides advice for those who are, those who know and those want to help sufferers. Methods of therapy are examined including a self help option as well.

5. Living Fully with Shyness and Social Anxiety: A Comprehensive Guide to Gaining Social Confidence (Paperback)

Living Fully with Shyness and Social Anxiety

Written in a friendly tone by a therapist who has led social-anxiety support groups. It starts off by providing small and achievable goals to help kick start you off on your journey to recovery. Before you know you’ll be overcoming your biggest fears such as public speaking and dating. Also provides a informative guide to anti-anxiety medications.

Buying any one of these these books, reading it and then applying it’s advice WILL help your life. What are you waiting for? Get one of these books NOW and stop blushing!

Technorati Tags: blushing, books, facial blushing, facial flushing, flushing, stop blushing

I came across this list from the disease database which includes any drugs or medicines which may cause blushing as a side effect. If you’re having problems blushing and you’re taking any of these medicines then contact your doctor to see what’s going on:

• Acipimox
• Adenosine
• Ambrisentan
• Amlodipine
• Aspirin
• Betahistine
• Bosentan
• Bromocriptine
• Cabergoline
• Calcitonin
• Caspofungin
• Chlorpropamide
• Cyclosporin
• Danazol
• Dinoprostone
• Epoprostenol
• Ethanol
• Felodipine
• Fenoldopam
• Gemeprost
• Gestrinone
• Glatiramer acetate
• Glyceryl trinitrate
• Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor
• Isosorbide dinitrate
• Isosorbide mononitrate
• Isradipine
• Lysuride
• Methionine
• Nicorandil
• Nicotinic acid
• Nifedipine
• Nitrendipine
• Pergolide
• Piribedil
• Protamine sulfate
• Quinidine
• Reboxetine
• Regadenoson
• Reproterol
• Ropinirole
• Salbutamol
• Serotonin
• Sildenafil
• Sodium nitrite
• Sulprostone
• Tadalafil
• Tamoxifen
• Thyrotrophin releasing peptide
• Trilostane
• Vancomycin
• Vardenafil

Hope this helps you stop blushing!

Technorati Tags: blushing, drugs, facial flushing, medicines, stop blushing

Whilst searching for articles on how to stop blushing, I came across this phobia called Scopophobia and it may be what some blushers suffer from.

Scopophobia - An intense and irrational fear of being stared at or seen. Symptoms include staying away from large groups of people, for example restaurants. Even simple everyday activities such as walking down the street can be uncomfortable as sufferers believe everyone is staring at and judging them.

Does this sound familiar? Does your blushing relate to this? Hopefully by making you aware of this condition it will aid you on your journey to stop blushing.

Wikipedia

Technorati Tags: blushing, facial blushing, facial flushing, flushing, scopophobia, stop blushing

Idiopathic Craniofacial Erythema

This is a severe form of blushing where even smallest events can trigger someone to blush and it is often linked to social anxiety disorder. Glancing at someone or even just talking to family or friends causes a facial flush to overwhelm the face, sometimes lasting for several minutes afterwards. This form of blushing can be triggered by even the smallest of things and is a more chronic condition than the usual problems people face with blushing. Because the condition is so severe people often avoid relationships and end up in jobs which have little face to face contact.

Rosacea

Early symptoms of Rosacea include blushing, redness and facial flushing across the nose, forehead, cheeks and neck. Redness across these areas can become semi permanent as the condition worsens. This differentiates the condition from blushing in that it lasts longer and can also have no psychological trigger although psychologically triggered blushing may also occur. Other causes that trigger Rosacea include changes in temperature and strenuous exercise. Rosacea occurs later in life and peaks from the ages of 30 to 50. It is also found to be more common in European and Celtic ethnicities. Famous Rosacea sufferers include Bill Clinton and Diana Princess of Wales.

Erythrophobia

A form of social phobia, Erythrophobia is the fear of blushing itself and is probably one of the most common conditions. Going into social situations the person will begin tensing up as they fear that they will blush, which in turn makes them more likely to blush. This can cause people to avoid social contact and it can also hinder their lives. Often the fear of the blushing ends up actually being worse than the blushing itself. Realising this can help to reduce the problem.

Do you suffer from any Blushing or Facial Flushing conditions or disorders? If so then we’d like to hear your story in the comments section below.

Technorati Tags: blushing, erythrophobia, facial flushing, idiopathic craniofacial erythema, rosacea, stop blushing

Similar to speed dating but without any words, Eye Gazing is the new craze for people looking for love. Singles attending the event are given a quick guide on how to make good eye contact. The strangers are then told to pair up and stare into each others eyes, 2 minutes a go, for a total of 20 gazes during the evening. It’s intense, uncomfortable and difficult to do, but that’s the whole point. So much singles chatter involves pointless small talk that we often avoid making real contact with one another.

Eye Gazing was created by salsa dancer Michael Ellsberg who says that strong eye contact was often the most important yet often lacking ingredient when creating a good dance. Realising the parallels between dancing and dating he set out to see if the magic from the dancing world could be transferred to the dating world.

It’s been a brilliant success as “afterwards conversations and phone number exchange with ease because people feel an inexplicable closeness to one another”. When asked why eye contact? His response:

“Eye contact is, hands down and lashes up, the single best way to establish a meaningful connection with a new person in a short amount of time.  It gets quickly past the social roles that we often put up in interacting with one another which allows a quick penetration into a deeper layer of who we are as people which then allows us to feel more seen, understood, and open to each other. “

—

A little bit weird but still interesting stuff. If you’re a blusher and you really want to stop blushing then this should be one of your goals. I know that if an event ends up in my town then I’ll be going!

Eye Gazing Parties

Technorati Tags: blushing, dating, eye gazing, facial flushing, stop blushing

The best way to control blushing is to work on the problems that are causing it in your mind. However it is also useful to know what happens to the physical side of your body when you blush.

Blushing is an involuntary reaction to an emotional event which causes the fight or flight response in our bodies. The fight or flight response releases adrenaline into our blood stream. The adrenaline dilates the blood vessels around our body which allows the blood to flow more easily. It also increases the heart rate which makes the blood flow around the body at a faster pace. The blood vessels in your face reply to this emotional response with the chemical transmission of adenylyl cyclase which opens up the veins in your face even further creating a reddening appearance. A feeling of warmth and sweating may also occur as the blood vessels dilate.

Although fight and flight responses happen to all people, blushing varies from person to person. Some people do not blush at all, others only turn slightly pink and unfortunately some people they end up turning a bright red. Blushing occurs in all races although it is often more pronounced in pale and lighted skinned persons.

What happens to your body when you blush?

Technorati Tags: adenylyl cyclase, blushing, facial blushing, facial flushing, flushing, physiology, stop blushing

People generally begin Blushing or Facial Flushing usually very early on in their youth. One of the first times when children begin blushing is when they are required to speak in front of the class for a school project. This usually occurs under the age of 12 and because children are relatively carefree during this period, blushing does not cause a major problem.

For most people it’s during the early teenage years when blushing starts becoming a major problem. Common reasons for blushing during this period are teasing or when they start communicating with the opposite sex. Again most people tend to brush it off or grow out of this stage however it’s during this period that some people start avoiding social contact and the problems begin.

Later times, such as when people start moving to college, can also be periods when people begin to have problems with blushing. As in early adolescence, blushing often occurs whilst communicating with members of the opposite sex. Not only can the social side of life deteriorate but the academic side of life can suffer as well as they begin to avoid class.

However, it generally seems that if you’ve made it into your twenties and haven’t had any problems blushing then it’s unlikely that they will develop. There are exceptions to this however and blushing problems can still develop later on in life although the chances are greatly diminished.

Technorati Tags: age, blushing, facial blushing, facial flushing, flushing, stop blushing