Sweating when you’re exercising is an excellent feeling. You walk out of the gym feeling like you’ve accomplished something. You also completely understand sweating when you’re in the heat. Your body needs to cool down some way, right?
You may not just sweat at these times though. Do you end up sweating at the office or while you’re on a date? Do you find yourself dripping in sweat on a morning, despite the window being open and it being 10 degrees in the house?
Excessive sweating is a medical issue and known as hyperhidrosis. It affects around eight million Americans, so you are not alone. If it’s severe enough, you can find yourself sweating five times more than the average American.
The good news is you can curb excessive sweating. While you may not be able to stop it completely, you can stop it affecting your date or your life. Here are 13 proven tips to stop excessive sweating right now.
Cut Out All Spicy Foods
Let’s start with the spice that you eat. Spice naturally increases your body temperature. It may taste good, but it is going to make your sweating worse. Your body thinks it’s hot outside and will try to reduce the body temperature as quickly as possible. You want to cut it out completely to take control of your sweat glands.
When you’re out on a date, don’t order any of the curries. Find out if the pasta dishes have a kick to them. This doesn’t mean your dishes must taste bland. There are plenty of excellent ways to spruce up your meals without the need for spice.
Want a curry? Wait until you’re at home alone, with nobody around to judge the amount that you sweat!
Cut Down on the Caffeine
It’s not always easy to cut out caffeine completely, but if you can, then you’ll want to see if you can. For now, cut down on the amount of caffeine you drink, especially if you’re a fan of strong coffee.
Your strong coffee is making your sweating worse. Also keep away from the energy drinks because of the high levels of caffeine (and lack of nutrients) they have.
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system. It helps you to think clearer, move faster, and feel more awake. Unfortunately, this also means it stimulates your adrenaline glands. Your body goes into a similar state as when your “flight or fight” response kicks in. Your body reacts to apparent danger, meaning you sweat more—think about the symptoms of nervousness.
While cutting down or out the caffeine you won’t completely stop hyperhidrosis, but you will reduce the amount that you sweat at a given time. You get rid of the reaction within the body to help reduce the chances.
Use Antiperspirant at the Right Time
Don’t just put your antiperspirant on during the morning. Your sweat production is the lowest over the night, so you don’t need to apply it first thing in a morning. You want to apply it on a night.
Antiperspirant needs to get into your body to stop your body releasing the sweat. If you start to sweat before this happens, you get rid of the active ingredients. Don’t worry about getting a shower on a morning if you apply it on a night. Your body has had a chance to soak in the active ingredients overnight, preventing from them washing away.
If you have hairy armpits, you will want to rethink application. The hairs will get in the way of the absorption rate. It’s best to trim or shave the hairs to get more into your pores. Shave on a morning and then apply on a night. This helps to prevent irritation in the skin because of the chemicals getting into your pores.
Get the Right Type of Antiperspirant
Don’t just use any antiperspirant available. You want to get the clinical strength type—the stuff made for your level of sweating. The great news is these antiperspirants don’t leave the yellow or white stains on your top!
You want to get an antiperspirant that has a higher than average concentration of aluminum chloride. Look out for levels of 12% or more. You’ll usually need to look in a drug store for this, as most of shop-bought options are too low.
It is possible to get a prescription from your doctor. This is useful if you’ve tried everything on the shelves and still don’t get something to work.
The downside with antiperspirants if you only get temporary relief from your sweating. You will need to take other steps to stop it completely.
Spray Your Whole Body
Okay, so many not quite your whole body. However, your sweat glands are in more areas than just your pits. You have them in your chest, back, face, feet, and hands. Yes, there are some around your groin too.
Hyperhidrosis doesn’t just affect your underarm glands. You may notice that stains down your back, around your middle, and under your breasts are common. These are the glands that are affected by your condition and the ones that you want to cover up with antiperspirant.
Always avoid your face and your groin area. These are extremely sensitive areas and will cause irritation. Everywhere else is fair game.
Keep Your Material Breathable
Whether you’re looking for a shirt for work, a dress for a date, or a pair of shoes that are comfortable, you need to think about the material. One of the reasons your body sweats is because it can’t breathe. It doesn’t get the air needed to cool it down naturally, so it needs to cool you down instead.
Opting for breathable materials will help to limit the sweating. Look out for cotton. This is the most breathable material around. It can also hold onto sweat, preventing it from spreading everywhere else (useful for our next tip).
Don’t forget about your feet. Unless you’re wearing flip flops or sandals, you’ll want to think about the type of material your shows are made of. Look out for those with netting over the top, allowing air to circulate. If your feet can’t breathe and the air can’t escape, you will end up with more blisters. This is highly common in those wearing boots.
Hide the Sweat
It’s not always about preventing sweat but making it not look as visible. You want to appear normal, at least in your first couple of dates. Hiding the sweat with strategic clothes is the next best thing to preventing sweating completely.
Layers are your friend. You may think that this means more heat, but it can be good for you. Just opt for breathable cotton for your lower layer (I told you it was useful later) and then work your way up.
You don’t need lots of layers. One layer underneath your dress or shirt is enough. Make your top layer a darker color and you’ll find it even easier to hide the sweat.
If it’s the winter, use a sweater or jacket to help.
Wash It After One Use
It can seem like you’re wasting money on the laundry, but it’s worth it for your excessive sweating. Your clothes will hold onto the sweat. They become damp and the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. If you put the clothes straight back onto your body, you just end up putting the bacteria back into your skin.
Not only do you end up smelling of old sweat, but you also end up with more skin irritations and stress. That just leads to more sweating. All that hard work you’ve done to stop yourself sweating as much is undone extremely quickly.
Encourage Natural Sweating
Sometimes you want your body to sweat. This can reduce the amount of unnatural sweating you do. Exercise is your best friend in this case.
The stress hormones increase the adrenaline in your body. This is your “flight or fight” response and will lead to more sweating. You need to reduce the stress, and the best way is to exercise regularly. You’ll get boosts of endorphins, which will help to keep the stress (and adrenaline) at bay. The only time you’ll get stress responses is when your body needs them.
Try exercising for 150 minutes per week. This is only five days of 30-minute sessions. You want to do aerobic exercise to boost your natural sweating function. Let your glands work when they’re supposed to.
Stop Stressing About It
This is often easier said than done. Suffering from hyperhidrosis can mean a lot of stress. You’re constantly worried about whether you’re sweating into your shirt and if other people can see. The more you stress, the more you sweat. You end up with this big cycle that is making things completely worse.
So, stop stressing the small stuff. Manage your stress levels to prevent the adrenaline response.
This isn’t just about your sweat, either. If you have a stressful job or you find little things difficult to handle, you’ll need to find a way to get a hold of them. Look for ways to manage your stress levels to keep them to a minimum.
The less you stress, the more your mind will think things aren’t a big deal. You end up with more happy hormones because your body believes that you are happy. Awesome, right?
Get the Best Athletic Clothing
You want to increase your exercise, so now it’s time to get yourself ready for it. There are cheap sports bras, running shorts, and even running shoes out there. Before you buy them, make sure you get the best quality materials.
Athletic clothes are becoming more expensive because technology has improved. The good clothes are breathable and will draw in the sweat. They don’t allow it to run into your other clothes.
You will need to change out of your athletic clothes after training. Make sure you wash them after your workout, rather than using them again later. The sweat trapped in your clothes will harbor bacteria that can affect your skin when you put them back on.
If you’re struggling to find clothing for under a dress, consider some of the tight fitting athletic clothes. They can help to shape your figure and hold the stress away from your dress.
Increase Your B-Vitamins
We’ve already looked at foods not to eat, but what about those to eat? There are many that will help to reduce the stress and adrenaline in your body, helping to reduce the sweating function.
B-vitamins are the best. They directly affect your central nervous system, which controls that adrenaline boost. Stock up on oily fish, cereals, and bran, and dark leafy greens.
You want to eat more fruits and vegetables either. They’re full of most nutrients your body needs for a healthy lifestyle. They will support your digestive system, helping to remove the bad bacteria and prevent hormonal imbalances.
Consider the Surgical Options
If all else fails, there is always surgery. Your doctor may recommend this if you still can’t get the hyperhidrosis under control. The good news most of surgeries are not invasive and can be done as outpatients, reducing your hospital bills. You may even find your health insurance covers it, although you will want to check this first.
Botox is one of the most common types of surgeries to stop excessive sweating. It will help to tighten the pores to avoid room for the sweat to escape. This isn’t a permanent option, but it is one of the most affordable and least risky.
Another option is to have your sweat glands from under your arms removed. This sounds scary, but it is safe, if you have it done by a professional doctor. Only the sweat glands under your arms will be removed, as you still need sweat glands to control your body temperature. This will get rid of the most problematic ones for your excess sweating though.
If you don’t want surgery, there are medication options too. Talk to your doctor about these to see if they are effective.
Stopping Excessive Sweating
There is no need to be embarrassed. Sweating is natural and there are eight million people in America alone suffering from it. There are far more internationally. Rather than stressing about your sweat (which only makes it worse), take these 13 proactive steps to stop it from happening. You will feel more at easy, especially on a date or meet clients/customers at work.
