sweating, skincare, grooming, summer, perspiration, DIY There are various ways to control excessive sweating, image: Unsplash
There’s something glorious about sweating profusely in the gym. But on a Monday morning on your way to an important work meeting? Disastrous. WFH and its indoor air-conditioned privileges are swiftly disappearing as most of us are heading back to the office via the dreaded, sweaty work commute. With the heat and humidity increasing daily as we plunge deeper into the summer, your sweat glands are only going to become more active. That’s the bad news.
The good news is, there are various ways to control excessive sweating, most of which are easily implementable lifestyle changes. We spoke to experts to find out why some people sweat so much and what can be done about it.
Sweat can be annoying, but it’s a completely natural (and effective) mechanism to cool your body down. “When the body temperature rises, the sympathetic nervous system stimulates the eccrine sweat gland to secrete water to the skin surface, where it cools the body temperature by evaporation,” explains Dr. Debeshi Bhattacharjee, an award-winning clinical cosmetologist and the Head and Founder of Lueur Aesthetics.
When the temperature outside increases substantially, as in the summer months, the temperature of the body also begins to rise. “To compensate, the body starts releasing more sweat to normalise the temperature,” says Dr. Nishita Ranka Bagmar, internationally acclaimed dermatologist, Medical Director and Founder of Dr. Nishita'a Clinic for Skin, Hair & Aesthetics.
It’s no secret that the general compartment in the train stinks far more than the ladies' one. But why? “Men have slightly more number of sweat glands distributed on the surface area of the body and these glands are also typically bigger, which makes them sweat more in comparison to women,” explains Dr. Bagmar.
According to Dr. Bhattacharjee, men have a higher sweat output than women because of testosterone, which is believed to enhance sweating response.
While there’s no way to simply turn off the faucet, it is possible to make some lifestyle changes to beat excessive summer sweating. Here are a few tips by our experts to beat the heat.
1. Hydrate: Be it acne, hangovers, or a nasty UTI, there’s nothing a healthy amount of water intake can’t help cure. “When you sweat, your body excretes water. Too much sweating can lead to dehydration, which can cause complications,” says Dr. Bagmar.
2. Wear loose clothes: Save all your tight, layered, and synthetic clothes for the winter. Wear breezy outfits made from breathable fabrics such as cotton and linen.
3. Cut down on caffeine: I know it sounds impossible to quit coffee for a whole season, but it might help to cut down. “Caffeine stimulates adrenal glands,” says Dr. Bhattacharjee, which can cause excessive sweating.
4. Stay away from spicy food: Spicy foods come with a chemical called capsaicin, which tricks your body into believing that its temperature is rising.
5. Invest in the right products: Stock up on the best sweat beating products, like a high-strength antiperspirant to block your sweat ducts, and anti-fungal dusting powders for sweat-prone areas like your underarms, groin, chest and back.
If nothing is helping you control your excessive sweating and it’s coming in the way of your daily life, it’s best to consult a dermatologist. Hyperhidrosis is a curable medical condition that causes abnormally high sweating unrelated to environmental factors. An expert can determine if you suffer from it and help chart a way forward.
[via GQ India]