eli5: Do people actually visibly turn pale (ex. when they realize something awful, when they’re scared, etc)?

Question

I’m not sure if “turning white/pale” is an exaggeration or if people actually do turn pale in certain situations. I’ve never witnessed it myself, anyone here who has?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Yes, in an extreme fight or flight situation the body moves blood to the arms and legs incase you need to flee or fight. So less red blood in the face causes the face to go pale