Facial blushing is one of the most common manifestations of an hyperactive sympathetic system. Often combined with facial hyperhidrosis, facial blushing is a problematic condition that can cause social problems and psychological complications.

For most of us, being an “open book” to others is not desirable and traditionally, blushing is associated with being ashamed or being timid. This is why more and more people experiencing blushing and facial redness are considering treatments to diminish its effects. Severe cases of blushing are called idiopathic cranio-facial erythema – almost any slight trigger can cause very visible facial blushing. There are different types of treatments for this conditions: surgical facial blushing treatments, drug treatments for blushing and psychological treatments.Surgical facial blushing treatmentsETS was one of the potential treatments for blushing. It was believed that ETS was responsible for diminished facial blushing with patients who used it for palmar hyperhidrosis treatments. Later studies, however, concluded that ETS is not such a good choice for this particular condition. The compensatory sweat levels it produces and the numerous side effects are strong points against using ETS for facial blushing treatments. With ETS out of the questions, what are the other choices?Drug treatments for blushingRobinol, Ditropan and Propanthelin together with a series of anticholinergic drugs are good choices when it comes to facial redness and excessive blushing. These offer a more conservative approach and should be tried before any surgical operation is considered. This approach can provide patients with good results. Some choose to combine the blushing treatment with drugs like Xanax. Other treatment methods may include bio feedback, although this has not been proven to be very effective.

Anxiety medications, Beta-blockers and Clonidine are also used in facial blushing treatments. Psychological treatment optionsSocial phobia is one of the causes for facial blushing and direct psychological treatments usually produce excellent results. Psychological treatment may include: Involuntary blushing is common to people who have social phobia. In most cases, these disorders respond well to treatment. Psychological treatment options can include: Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) – a for of treatment that aims to help people change their behavior and thinking patterns in certain social situations. Breathing techniques are also used commonly for facial blushing, since symptoms of anxiety are triggered by hyperventilation. Fear confrontation is another method used to cure facial blushing – the patient is helped, by a counselor, to overcome social fears and get over the social phobias.

Facial blushing treatments

Author: Piyawut Sutthiruk

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