Hayag also mentions something called petechiae, which are tiny red or purple dots on the skin that can occur after excessive crying. “These dots usually disappear after a few days, unlike broken capillaries,” she says.
It's because any time we cry, we are often scrunching up our faces and the muscles around the eyes, and sometimes holding our breath which increases the pressure in our heads. Try it! Then the small blood vessels (capillaries) around the delicate eye skin, dilate and leak red cells.
The most common cause of petechiae is through physical trauma such as a hard bout of coughing, holding breath, vomiting, or crying, which can result in facial petechiae, especially around the eyes. Excessive scratching and friction, especially on thin and poorly circulted parts of the body may also cause petechiae.
Gohara agrees and says that all that rubbing from crying can clog the pores, especially if you're not careful with which kind of tissues you use. "If you're using those scented ones or ones that are moisture-infused, you're more likely to cause acne mechanica," she says. Gohara adds that stress can also cause acne.
Broken capillaries
Occasionally, crying can also lead to capillary damages around the eye region. This may happen due to aggressive rubbing of eyes, popping the breakouts, or frequent wiping of face, blowing nose, among other things.
Hayag also mentions something called petechiae, which are tiny red or purple dots on the skin that can occur after excessive crying. “These dots usually disappear after a few days, unlike broken capillaries,” she says.
Apart from an emotional impact some people even feel that their skin starts glowing and turns brighter. But have you ever thought about why your skin behaves in such a way? Well, it's because the blood vessels of your face dilate and cause increased blood flow.
The salt in tears leads to water retention and swelling around our eyes. More blood is also flowing to the whole facial region, causing a strained, red, puffy face-the same physiological reaction that comes with the "Fight or Flight" instinct.
As for the tears themselves, Dr. Wechsler recommends rinsing them off to abate dryness. If you've cried within a half hour of doing your skincare routine, you can rinse with a gentle cleanser (or water, if you think another wash will be too drying) and re-apply your skincare products.
Petechiae may look like a rash, but they're not. These pinpoint red dots on the skin are caused by broken capillaries, tiny blood vessels under the skin. They are not itchy or painful. If you press on petechiae, they'll stay purple, red or brown.
If a person is crying over a prolonged period, the continuous contractions of these muscles may result in a tension headache. Tension headaches are the most common primary headache, a headache that is not the result of another condition.
The physical downsides of crying are pretty straightforward: puffy eyes, splotchy skin and a headachy feeling that can be chalked up to the strong contractions of your facial muscles while you weep and pressure in your sinuses from the runny nose that accompanies a tear-fest.
Basal and reflex tears contain higher levels of salt than emotional tears. This helps protect your eyes and keep them healthy. What emotional tears lack in salt, they make up for in hormones. These hormones work as a natural painkiller by restoring balance in the body and reducing stress levels.
Emotional stress can affect a person's mind and body. People can develop a rash during stressful times, which some may refer to as a stress rash. This often appears as hives on the chest, neck, or face area. Hives consist of raised bumps on the skin.
The surface of the tear film then cools slightly, and for dry-eyed patients the rate of cooling can be higher. But the Delaware researchers have established that the temperature of the tear film actually increases slightly between each blink. So if copious tears are produced they are warmer.
(They're uncomfortable, too, if you've been crying a river.) "These effects can last for as little as a few minutes or stretch on for a few hours," says Marina Peredo, MD, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
By the process of osmosis, water from your tears flows through a semipermeable membrane into the tissue around your eyes to balance out the concentration of salt on either side. This causes your eyes to appear puffy, which is only aggravated when you rub them while you're crying.
When you are happy, angry, or sad, your body releases a hormone that makes your pupil size change. When you're happy or angry, your eyes usually become more vibrant, while when you cry, your eyes obtain a reddish color, making your eyes appear brighter.
Most useful is a low-brow hat that can be tilted over the eye area. But you could try a scarf, sunglasses or a veil as well. If you're lacking clothing to help, shield your eye area with a magazine, book or clutch bag until the crying is over.
There are theories floating online that say that the trend has its roots in celebrities posting their post-cry selfies. Think back to Bella Hadid's viral post about her struggles with mental health or Lizzo's crying video or Nicola Peltz Beckham's crying post captioned “Mondays”.
Ulrich said by covering part of their face they can feel hidden from the shocking event. Additionally these reactions serve a second purpose by allowing a person to soothe themselves through touch also called a "pacifier" gesture. "It's saying, 'I'll get through this,'" said Ulrich.
When a person cries with emotion, they can produce more tears than the lacrimal drainage system can cope with. This causes the tears to run out of the eyes and sometimes the nose. Tissue around the eyes can then reabsorb the tears, making the area appear puffy.