Vasomotor response of the human face: laser-Doppler measurements during mild hypo- and hyperthermia

The skin of the face is reputed not to vasoconstrict in response to cold stress because the face skin temperature remains steady during hypothermia. The purpose of the present work was to measure the vasomotor response of the human face to whole-body hypothermia, and to compare it with hyperthermia. Six male subjects were immersed in cold and in warm water to obtain the two conditions. Skin blood flow, evaporation, and skin temperature (Tsk) were recorded in three loci of the face, the forehead, the infra orbital area, and the cheek. Tympanic (Tty) and oesophageal (Toes) temperatures were also recorded during the different thermal states. Normothermic measurements served as control. Blood flow was recorded with a laser-Doppler flowmeter, evaporation measured with an evaporimeter. Face Tsk remained stable between normo-, hypo-, and hyperthermia. Facial blood flow, however, did not follow the same pattern. The facial blood flow remained at minimal vasoconstricted level when the subjects' condition was changed from normo- to hypothermia. When the condition changed from hypo- to hyperthermia a 3 to 9-fold increase in the blood flow was recorded. From these results it was concluded that a vasoconstriction seems to be the general vasomotor state in the face during normothermia.