Why does my skin redden when I swim in very cold seawater?

Question

I thought when you are cold blood vessels contract to conserve heat so shouldn't my skin be pale? I don't swim particularly energetically and I have plenty of natural insulation - OK fat.

No I stay in much longer than most people can tolerate and my skin's red when I come out.

Answer 1

Your skin turns sanguine... This is because of increased blood supply to keep your body temperature from falling.

When you are in cold water for a very long time, your body temperature starts falling, and to keep it constant, the supply of blood to the skin increases. This is why it appears redder.
The blood vessels will contract to conserve heat, but the rate of blood flow will increase to ensure homeostatic thermal regulation.

Answer 2

Your skin would certainly turn pale if you stayed in long enough. At that point, however, you might start worrying about hypothermia. The redness is actually your bodies way of warming you up short-term. Once the body realizes its in for a long cold slog, it does contract the vessels.

Answer 3

You've answered your own question. If you have a lot of bulk, your body doesn't need the same cooling process that applies to leaner people. The effort of swimming tends to make the upper layers of the skin hot so you go red. If you stood still in cold water, you'd eventually go pale like us skinny mortals.

Answer 4

Initial adrenaline burst as you hit the cold water, heart pumps blood into the capilliaries.

Answer 5

The blood rushes to the surface of the skin!

Answer 6

Allergy

Answer 7

It may be an allergic reaction but you should consult your doctor.