I want to know what causes excessive sweating and what can be done about it.
I shower every day. I wear clean-on-that-day clothes. I am fairly healthy apart from weight (which I am losing. I am now two stone overweight. I am 6’1 and the ideal weight for someone 6’1 is apparently 13 stone) I have an excercise regime (before showering of course). I wear good deodorant (gillete clear gel) but as soon as I get slightly active at, or on the way to work the clothes under my arms show signs of sweating.
It doesn’t smell, that’s not the problem. It’s the visual sign that’s the problem. I dread someone asking me to reach for something or point high up :eek: I envy all the gits at work who can wear nothing but a white shirt and look as if their bodies don’t know the meaning of ‘sweat’.
Is there something I could do with my diet to solve this? Or should I just resign to the fact that it will be a problem until I am completely healthy, ideal weight, etc…
I’ve been reading up on this myself. Scientifically it’s called hyperhydrosis. (Sometimes hyperhidrosis, I guess because it comes out of your hide.)
A doctor might have some answers for you. One cause is faulty temperature regulation, whichcan indicate a thyroid problem. Another is overactive adrenal glands, in which case a beta blocker might help you. A piecemeal and expensive solution would be Botoxing your sweat glands into submission - no help if you’re like me and sweat all over.
I’ve always wondered whether the 107° fever I suffered as a baby might have left my internal thermostat permanently wacked. In any case, it’s not just a weight-related problem. I sweated like crazy as a 140 lb teenager, at my peak weight of 200, and now I’m 175 and still doing it.
I’m assuming you dress in the minimum weight and layers of clothing required to keep you decent, comfy, and not looking like you just danced thru a car wash. I have had very good results with CoolMax and similar garments. They dry very quickly, even while they’re still on.
I have that problem - except it’s my face that sweats. Profusely. It is impossible for me to keep makeup on if I’m going to be outside. I have had this problem all my life and would love to know what I can do about it.
According to the linked abstract above, one effective treatment option is the topical application of aluminum chloride. I wonder if something like this is safe to use on the face, if due care is taken to keep it out of the eyes?
Believe it or not, there is an International Hyperhidrosis Society. By the looks of its board, the society seems to be independent from big pharma influence (I think).
Their website is pretty good. Worth a look. (You may find the left hand side of the “treatment options” page especially interesting).
Are you just using a deodorant, or an antipersperant? As I understand it, a deodorant just makes the sweat smell better, whereas an antipersperant actually stops you from sweating. Also, I have found before that changing your brand of antipersperant sometimes helps. It seems my body can get used to a certain kind if I use it all the time, and switching sometimes helps (this is purely anecdotal, and may just be my imagination - but it can’t hurt to give it a try)
For localized sweating, you can have the nerves that control it ablated, which sounds scary and stuff, but I’ve heard its effective. I think the face is one of the more common places for it to happen, so I would imagine that this treatment is an option.
I’m another one of those ridiculous all-over sweaters. Even when I’m a touch chilly, I sweat too much. Ugh, it’s annoying.
First of all, Gillette Clear Gel™ comes in both deodorant and anti-perspirant types, so make sure you’re using the anti perspirant. Plain deodorant doesn’t stop sweating. The active ingredient in anti-perspirant is aluminum chloride.
I too sweat excessively - it’s common in a tropical environment here, but I do sweat a lot more than others. I usually get the ‘butterfly sweat-stains’ on my shirt in less than 5 mins under the sun (it’s about 98 F here).
Do you just apply anti-perspirant to your armpits? I am sweating all over the place - face, forehead, arms and etc.
Some years ago I saw a segment on TV where a doctor recommended dry massaging your armpits with an absorbent cloth for (I think) about 10 minutes every few days. Apparently it is possible to drain the glands and it takes some time for them to refill.
I have suffered from excessive sweating, and so has my mother. But for us, it’s mostly in our hands and feet. For me, the sweating sometimes seems to be triggered by stress or concentration or excitement. Sometimes it seems entirely random.
I used to sweat like mad as well. Only in my armpits. It was a pain in the butt. I would change my shirt multiple times a day. I found a product called “Certain Dry” that I got at a regular drugstore. I used it for about 3 months and now I don’t have the sweating problem. I did check with my doctor first beforehand, he said you just sweat alot.
It did cause my armpits to yellow a little bit, the skin seemed off color, but that went away after I stopped using it.
My normal body temp is a bit higher than normal, mine is about 98.9-99.1 most of the time, plus I weigh 255 so I sweat alot too. I have no good advice other than to wear something cold either on the armpits, back of the neck or the groin. Alot of bodyheat passes through these areas and if you think you’re going to do something that can make you sweat you can put ice there.
Aluminum chloride underarm deodorants supposedly work really well, they’ve been asked about before on SD and people had good things to say about them.
