5 Reasons Your Face Burns During a Workout

Your motivation to exercise may be negatively affected if sweating or exercise burns your face. There are a number of common causes of heat, redness, or burning of the face during exercise and sweating, and each may have a different solution. Read more: What to do if you have sweat and rash from a sports bra? Consult your doctor or dermatologist for a diagnosis before trying to treat any symptoms of facial sweating pain. Blood vessel dilation Any physical activity that constitutes aerobic exercise will affect your heart rate, circulation, and the blood vessels in your face and body. As you exercise, your breathing rate and heart rate both increase, and your blood vessels may dilate as blood is pumped faster through your body. Because facial blood vessels are relatively close to the surface of your skin, dilation of these vessels can cause redness and a feeling of heat or burning on your face. Rosacea and Sweat Rash Rosacea is an incurable skin condition that most often affects only the face. A burning sensation on the skin of the face is a typical symptom of rosacea, which can also cause itching, flaking and dry skin. If you have rosacea, exercise and sweating will exacerbate these symptoms. Rosacea can be controlled with topical and oral medications and avoiding overheating or stressful situations. Some people find that certain foods and drinks – coffee, alcohol and dairy products, for example – make rosacea symptoms worse. Sweat Allergy As strange as it may sound, you may be allergic to your own sweat. As sweat is secreted from your forehead and temples during exercise, this sweat could cause an allergic reaction involving itchy facial or burning sensations where the sweat touches your skin. According to a January-March 2016 article published by the Journal of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapeutics, patients with cholinergic urticaria — a type of skin rash or hives caused by hypersensitivity to body heat — tend to have an allergic reaction to their own sweat. Consider Your Surroundings A burning sensation in your face can be caused by excessively hot or cold temperatures when you exercise. Additionally, high or low humidity can cause facial redness, itching, or burning. If you exercise in hot weather or in an overheated gym, you sweat more and the blood vessels in your face may rise closer to the surface of your skin, creating a burning sensation. Direct sun, very dry air, and very cold weather can also cause similar symptoms. Heat Rash Sweat rashes that occur in hot, humid conditions are also called heat rash. According to the Mayo Clinic, breakouts occur when sweat becomes trapped under the skin by clogged pores. This condition usually goes away on its own, but see a doctor if you also experience pain, swelling, redness, enlarged lymph nodes, fever, or discharge of pus. You can help prevent breakouts by keeping your skin fresh.