Causes of Facial Burning During Exercise
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5 Reasons Your Face Burns During a Workout

If you find that your face burns after exercising, it might be normal, or it could be a medical condition such as rosacea.

5 Reasons Your Face Burns During a Workout
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Updated on December 2, 2025
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Your motivation to exercise can take a hit if sweating while working out makes your face burn. A number of things can cause facial hotness, redness, or burning during exercise and sweating, and each may have a different solution.

1. Dilated Blood Vessels

Any physical activity that constitutes aerobic exercise will affect your heart rate, circulation, and the blood vessels in your face and body. As you work out, your breathing rate and heart rate both increase, and your blood vessels may dilate as blood is pumped more quickly around your body, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

Since the blood vessels in the face are relatively close to the surface of your skin, dilation of these vessels can cause your face to appear red and feel hot or burning, according to one study. Typically, your face will feel better once you cool off after a workout.

2. Rosacea

Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that most commonly affects only the face. A sensation of facial skin burning is a typical symptom of rosacea, which may also cause redness, itching, flaking, and dry skin, according to Mayo Clinic. If you have rosacea, exercise and sweating will exacerbate these symptoms.

Rosacea may be controlled with topical and oral medications, and by avoiding overheated or stressful situations. Some people find that certain foods and drinks — coffee, alcohol, and dairy products, for example — make rosacea symptoms worse.

3. Allergy to Sweat

Some people have an allergy to their own sweat. This condition, called cholinergic urticaria, causes hives to form on the skin in response to sweat, according to Cleveland Clinic. Anything that causes you to sweat — hot weather, spicy foods, stress, or exercise — can bring on the hives, which cause itching, burning, and tingling.

Cholinergic urticaria can be treated with medications such as antihistamines and anticholinergics; the condition often goes away over time.

4. Weather Conditions

A sensation of facial burning can be caused by excessively hot or cold temperatures when you exercise. Additionally, high or low humidity can cause a red, itchy, or burning face. If you exercise in hot weather or an overheated gym, you will sweat more and your facial blood vessels may rise nearer to the surface of your skin, creating a burning sensation.

Direct sun, very dry air, and very cold weather can also cause similar symptoms.

5. Heat Rash

Heat rash, sometimes called “prickly heat,” can occur during hot, humid conditions.

According to Mayo Clinic, heat rash occurs when sweat is trapped under your skin by blocked pores. This can happen if you live in a warm and humid climate or if your body overheats while wearing multiple layers of clothing.

Heat rash usually clears up on its own, but consult a doctor if you also experience pain, swelling, redness, swollen lymph nodes, fever, or pus drainage. You can prevent heat rash by keeping your skin cool with appropriate layering or moisture-wicking clothing.

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Ross Radusky, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Ross Radusky, MD, is a practicing board-certified dermatologist at the Dermatology Treatment and Research Center in Dallas. Originally from New York City, he graduated summa cum laude from the City University of New York and then received his MD from the New York University School of Medicine. There, he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and served as chapter president for two years. He completed his residency in dermatology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical Center, and at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Dr. Radusky practices general and cosmetic dermatology with a focus on the early detection of skin cancer, and provides patients with a personalized approach to looking their best at any age. He has authored articles and textbook chapters on the clues that our finger- and toenails may provide us about internal disease, as well as on comprehensive therapies for cosmetic dermatology and reversing the signs of skin aging.

Complementing his medical practice, Radusky has a strong passion for the cultural arts, particularly in expanding access to youths and seniors. He previously served as an artist instructor for the Rockaway Artists Alliance, a New York City nonprofit arts and education organization, and then served as both a board director and treasurer of the organization throughout his medical school training.

Radusky enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife Robyn, son Oliver, and poodle Lucy, where he can usually be found preventing photoaging and reducing the risk of skin cancer beneath an umbrella in a wide-brimmed hat. He is also the proud inventor of Sunshotz, the world’s only sunscreen measuring cup, designed to help patients of all ages apply the proper amount of sunscreen needed to enjoy all the sun without the burn.

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Jae Allen

Author

Jae Allen has been a professional writer since 1999. She has worked as a medical writer and paralegal, bringing research and analytical skills to her content creation. Allen specializes in health, fitness, nutrition, and gardening topics, contributing to platforms including Livestrong and Weekand.com.

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