Sweating is a natural phenomenon necessary for the normal regulation of an human’s body-temperature. The secretion of sweat is mediated by a part of our vegetative nervous system (the Sympathetic Nervous System). Facial blushing, or erythrophobia, is a sudden reddening of the face that occurs spontaneously or in response to stressful stimuli, which can extend to the neck, forehead, ears and the upper chest. Some areas are obviously harder to conceal than others.

Facial blushing generally appears during the teenage years. The sudden burst of facial redness is triggered by the unexpected announcement of exciting information or sometimes by the presence of others, which can also tie in with facial blushing. The affliction may have a serious social as well as functional impact on the victim’s life.

In some people (about 1% of the population), this system is working at a very high activity level which is much higher than needed to keep a constant temperature. This condition is referred to as hyperhidrosis. Facial sweating and facial blushing often happen in conjunction, as they are both caused by over activity of the sympathetic nervous system. This is part of what is called the involuntary central nervous system. Therefore it is not possible to control or stop it voluntarily, and this makes facial blushing unpredictable and unforeseeable in most circumstances. A common misconception about this condition is that it typically affects only those people who are overweight, but this is not true as it can affect anybody.

Experiencing sweat pouring down from the forehead in conditions of over stressing situations can be very distressful and induce the patient to think that others may consider them nervous or insecure. This in turn can cause the person to avoid social interactions such as work, or sporting activities, and other situations that would stimulate blushing. Unfortunately, others can misinterpret facial sweating and blushing as a sign of embarrassment or sickness.

Antiperspirant is usually recommended as the first therapeutic measure. The most effective agent over the latest years seems to be aluminium chloride appearing in quantities of 20-25% and in 70-90% alcohol, applied in the evening two to three times per week. Generally, this treatment has been seen as effective in cases with light to moderate hyperhidrosis but has to repeat on a recurring basis. Another option that physicians are exploring today are Botox injections which are currently used in the treatment of excessive underarm sweating. However you must be aware that Botox has not yet been approved for the treatment of any other form of hyperhidrosis and can often be very painful and costly, not to mention dangerous. Botox can be effective in treating facial hyperhidrosis but the treatment lasts only six to twelve months and can cause a stiffness of facial expression and. Surgery can be effective for the control of facial sweating and blushing problems but careful consideration of the side effects are essential with your doctor. Compensatory sweating may occur and apparently there is a risk of Horner’s syndrome (which is a drooping eye-lid).

Sympathectomy is often known as a final resort to help cure facial sweating. In fact sympathectomy was once regarded as exclusive treatment to cure facial sweating, but not without its problems. Thus, Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy was prescribed as an most effective cure. Having said this, in recent times surgical solutions have declined as surgical treatment to cure sweating are prone to show lower success rates.