ADMIT IT: the best part about crying isn’t the release, or the raw emotions -- it’s
how freakin sexy your face looks when you’re all done tearing up.
Hey folks, welcome back to DNews, Laci Green here!
It’s a phenomenon the internet has so kindly coined as “ugly crying” - when you’re
SO upset that your face gets all contorted and puffy and um….ugly looking.
But you know what?
I REFUSE TO CALL IT UGLY.
CRYING IS BEAUTIFUL…..ish.
Okay fine it’s a little ugly.
Funny thing about crying is that there is a huge gender gap.
Women are much more likely to let themselves cry than men - clocking in an average of 47
cries per year, while men only cry about 7 times per year.
I actually feel kind of bad for dudes.
CRYING FEELS GOOD.
WHY AREN’T BOYS CRYING MORE????
There are a lot of complicated reasons, but basically it’s a difference psychologists
have repeatedly linked to cultural norms.
How you’re allowed to express your feelings differs based on your gender.
For instance, as a culture we find it more acceptable for men to deal with their angry
emotions by getting into physical fights.
While the gender divides in crying are better understood, WHY we cry and what exactly triggers
it varies from person to person and situation to situation.
But the universal experience of “ugly crying” can be traced back to simple anatomy.
In order to produce tears, the lacrimal glands in your eyes have to get to work.
Tear fluid is produced with the help of blood, which comes through thick and fast when the
blood vessels in your eyes dilate.
Normally you can’t see those vessels...but when they widen up, you can tell they’re
there, alright/ All those tiny little vessels swelling up to produce your tears make your
eyes look “blood shot”.
But what about the puffy eyes?
This happens because, if you’ve ever had the absolute pleasure of tasting your own
tears, you’ll notice that they’re really salty.
The salt causes water retention around your eyes, causing them to puff up.
Salt isn’t the cause for your ENTIRE FACE becoming a puffy, bloated mess however.
The reason for that is actually a bit more complicated - it comes down to your fight-or-flight
system.
This is the part of your sympathetic nervous system that’s activated when your body is
under stress.
When you’re angry, when you’re scared or threatened - your pupils dilate and the
adrenaline flows, causing your heart rate to increase.
Crying is basically the same - especially if you’re holding your breath a bit and
not breathing steadily, it causes blood to pump into your face, straining your muscles,
and making your face red and puffy.
Add a nice smattering of snot mixed with tears and drool and well….you’re a masterpiece,
baby.
Thanks for joining me for DNews everyone, are you an ugly crier?
Tell me about it down below and we’ll see you next time with more science updates!