Silly question about usage of the 'show' "She paled."

hmmm. I can't say I've ever seen anyone grow noticeably paler from, say, shock or such like.

(I have seen some people go red, tho, from embarrassment...)

I've dealt with this by having people go gray rather than pale - if the blood drains from your face, you're going to lose some red undertones, no matter what your skin tone.

Layla Nahar said:

hmmm. I can't say I've ever seen anyone grow noticeably paler from, say, shock or such like.

(I have seen some people go red, tho, from embarrassment...)

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Vasovagal reflex can make people's blood

I've seen people of pale complexion turn chalky, or even greenish, when they are about to puke or faint or are in great pain. It's part of what's called the vasovagal response. It entails an abrupt drop in blood pressure and heart rate and can lead to syncope (fainting). If someone has had an emotional shock that is so bad it pushes them into that physiological response, they might blanch, and feel dizzy, feel light headed and sick.

People with darker skin aren't going to turn white, obviously, but their skin can definitely take on a grayish tinge when they have that physiological reaction to pain, illness, or shock.

Patty said:

I like the 'show' of saying a character paled, in response to something unexpected and/or frightening. But, frankly, I don't know if 'paling' is something that occurs across all people or not? I understand it to mean the blood drained from a person's face.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but does 'paling' happen across ancestries/ethnicities/etc?

(I hope I used all the right words here.)

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Even people with dark skin color will look somewhat more pale if they lose too much blood. People in general might not know that, so you might want to find out another description even if it is the case, although I think "paling" of the skin would get the point across regardless of how the character looks.

I hope this helps.

Juggernaut

Paled has more than one meaning . It can mean to become lighter or paler . It also can mean to becom less important or shrink back to something smaller . Is it possible you have both meanings in your head ?