Red Face After Working Out? How to Deal with It

While it is normal for your face to flush after workout, it can still be a bit frustrating if it lingers more than you want it to. This is especially true if you have plans or need to be somewhere else and the redness hasn’t calmed down yet. 

Continue reading as our aesthetic clinic in Singapore explores the reasons why your skin gets red after exercising and what you can do to reduce or manage the redness. 

Why does your face get red after working out?

Facial redness is one of the body’s ways of cooling itself down. With increased body temperature during and after workout, the body will need to move the blood flow closer to the skin to release heat and prevent it from overheating. This will cause the blood vessels to dilate, which can then lead to facial redness and flushing. 

A combination of other factors can also contribute to facial redness after working out. These can include:

• Genetics – Some individuals have more reactive blood vessels than others. You are also more likely to have facial spider veins if your family has a history of them.
• Rosacea – This chronic inflammatory disease causes persistent facial redness and makes the skin look like it is sunburnt with broken blood vessels or facial veins. Exercise can aggravate rosacea symptoms. Learn the 5 common myths about rosacea.
• Having fair skin – With less melanin to conceal the dilation of blood vessels, it is more likely for your face to get red after working out if you have fair skin.
• Intensity of the exercise – Intense cardio may increase your body’s demand for oxygen and lead to higher heart rates and respiration. This can put you at more risk of experiencing facial redness after working out. The same can also be true for exercises that increase blood circulation in the face like face yoga.

How to minimize facial redness after workout

While facial redness after exercising can last from a few minutes to an hour, it can still depend on the conditions of where you are working out. If it’s outside in a hot and humid environment, it will take more time for your body to cool and the redness to subside. The good news is there are several ways to calm down or manage flushing. 

• Spray on a facial mist – Apart from helping your face cool off, a spritz of a hydrating or cooling mist can also make your skin feel refreshed. It can give your skin a glow or help relieve rosacea that can be exacerbated by exercise.
• Exercise in a cool environment – To prevent redness after a workout, try working out indoors or in a cool, non-humid environment, like air-conditioned spaces or close to a fan. You may also consider dialing down the intensity of your sweat session to prevent facial redness.
• Use a cold compress – A cool towel or cold compress has a soothing effect that can refresh your skin and help reduce redness. You can simply use a washcloth run under cold water and gently press it on your face or the affected area to help shrink blood vessels under the skin.
• Wear lightweight clothing –Breathable and moisture-wicking fabrics can draw moisture away from the body and help you feel more comfortable during and after a workout. This also helps regulate and control body temperature and possibly reduce facial redness and flushing.
• Avoid harsh or irritating skincare – If you are prone to redness or rosacea, it is best to avoid products with potentially irritating ingredients, such as alcohol, sulfates, or harsh retinoids. Switch to or use formulas with soothing ingredients that can calm inflammation and redness, such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and colloidal oatmeal.
• Seek out professional treatments – If you’re already dealing with redness and its associated symptoms, you may want to consider aesthetic treatments that can provide long-term relief to redness. At Cutis, we have several procedures that can manage redness and enhance your skin’s youthfulness.

• Cutis rosacea treatment package – includes three laser and light-based procedures that can improve rosacea symptoms:
  • Limelight Photo Facial – uses IPL to improve brown spots, tiny facial veins, facial flushing, and sun damage.
  • Laser vein reduction – uses pulses of laser light that target the vein and redirect blood flow deeper below the skin surface.
  • Laser skin rejuvenation – uses laser technology to boost collagen and address redness, tiny facial veins, enlarged pores, and pigmentation.
• Meso-Botulinum – involves superficial injection of botulinum toxin all over the face. It can help tighten pores, decrease sebum production, reduce facial redness, and smooth/tighten the skin.
• Hydra-Clarifying Facial – exfoliates and removes impurities in the pores while also infusing the skin with beneficial serums. It can calm and protect the skin, as well as improve congestion, enlarged pores, and signs of aging.

Make Cutis your partner in dealing with your skin and aging concerns non-invasively. Contact Cutis Medical Laser Clinics in Singapore today to learn more or book a consultation with our aesthetic doctor.