When riding a bike, it is natural that your face will become red. However, there are plenty of ways to combat this problem. Some of these methods can be carried out at home before the ride while others can be used during the ride. Also, there are tricks that may not help to prevent redness in the face but will make it disappear pretty quickly. For the sake of a little effort, your skin could be saved from a lot of pain and severe redness. Here are five must-use tips when planning to do mountain bike riding.
1. Eat Sensibly Before You Leave
The first part can take place at home and this will be by eating food that will not affect your temperature and blood vessels. By cutting out spicy food, such as curries and chilies, for a week before the ride takes place, and replacing them with things such as apple, melon and spinach, you will find that your skin is in a much better condition even before you start riding your bike. This alone will not prevent redness, but it is a step in the right direction.
2. Medication
As with all forms of flushing, there can be medicinal cures. It may not be ideal to use medication for slight flushes, but for deeper ones there can be a great improvement. Products that will help to dilute the blood vessels, such as clonidine or beta blockers, will make the face look much more normal in a short period of time. Make sure that the instructions are carefully read so as not to cause any damage.
3.Drink plenty of water to cool yourself
Just by keeping cool you will find that your face is not very red. Drink plenty of water, and while this could bring about its own problems, it will leave your skin soft and pink. Not only will it deal with redness of the face, but it will help your whole body stay hydrated.
4. Change Your Beauty Regime.
It may feel strange not to be doing all you can to make sure that your skin is silky soft, but cutting the exfoliation regime back will do you the world of good. This will mean that there is a lot less risk of your skin being too sensitive and being attacked by the sun. Any tan you get will be a cool light brown, rather than a painful, unsightly red.
5. Reapply Sunscreen
It will be best if you can reapply every couple of hours when riding a mountain bike. While the wind is blowing – and the feeling of staying cool is going to be emphasized when riding a mountain bike – it can deceive you into believing that the sun is not hot enough to burn you. The difference between the color of a constant re-applier and someone who does not bother will be immense.
Conclusion
All in all, it is to be expected that you are going to become out of breath and a little red in the face during some of the more difficult parts of the ride, but that does not mean you ignore the issue. Follow the above five tips, and you can enjoy the ride.
