Everybody sweats, and yet while some people seem to breeze through life without this ever being an issue, others are afflicted with an excess of sweat that can be embarrassing and inconvenient in equal measure.
Thankfully there are quite a few strategies you can use to combat unwanted sweatiness, so here are a handful of the top options which are both straightforward and virtually guaranteed to get good results in most cases.
Use an antiperspirant designed to help with hyperhidrosis
Your first port of call should be to seek out products designed to prevent you sweating altogether, and while you could opt for an everyday antiperspirant, if excessive sweating is an issue you face then a sturdier solution is called for.
This is where a natural antiperspirant which has been formulated to fight back against sweat and keep you as dry and comfortable as possible, without the need for harsh chemicals or any other unwanted ingredients, comes into its own.
Ultimately all antiperspirants work in a similar way, which is to say that they block the pores from which sweat is emitted. The battle is knowing which products work for you, and which can achieve this goal without any other compromises being made.
Another thing to bear in mind with regards to using antiperspirant is that you should always apply it before you have started to sweat excessively, so ideally this should be done immediately after your morning shower when you have towel dried your armpits. This is because they will not be as effective if your skin is already slick with sweat, so using them during or straight after a workout session is virtually pointless. Lots of people also recommend applying it at night, because your body temperature will be lower at this point in time, allowing the antiperspirant to do its thing and keep you dry throughout the following day.
The efficacy of antiperspirants can be further enhanced if you shave your armpits completely, as any hair can get in the way of the active ingredients and still leave your pores open to wreak havoc. This is not an option for everyone, but is worth considering if sweating is getting you down.
Change your diet
What you eat can have an impact on the amount that you sweat, and there are some surprising foods which you could choose to avoid to reduce excessive sweating.
The most obvious of the bunch are any spicy foods, since the intense reactions that our bodies have to things like chilli peppers and hot sauces will generally cause an increase in your heart rate, which in turn boosts your body temperature and generates sweat as a side effect of this.
Another perhaps less obvious type of food that can induce sweating is anything that is both very fatty and heavily processed. Again, this is all about how your body reacts, and because it needs to expend more effort to digest fattier items, sweating is once again going to be a problem. Conversely if you cut processed foods out of your diet, or reduce your intake, the benefits will be obvious both in terms of how much you sweat and your overall health.
Last but not least, foods which have a high content of salt should be added to the list of items to steer clear of, since the more salt that you add to your system, the more your body will try to deal with any unwanted supply, usually achieved by sweating it out. So rather than reaching for that bag of chips, pick up a piece of fruit instead.
Drink more water
While it feels counter-intuitive, the better hydrated you are, the less you will sweat. It all comes down to the way that water can not only help to keep your body balanced, but also acts as an internal cooling device, preventing your core temperature from rising and limiting the need to sweat in the first place.
Water is the best thing to drink for this purpose, and while you can rehydrate with other substances to a certain extent, these will not necessarily have the same anti-perspiration capabilities. For example, caffeinated beverages will make you sweat because of the increase to your heart rate that they bring about.
Update your wardrobe
Clearly if you wear too many layers on a hot day, or over-dress when you are going to be doing something physical, you will sweat. However, there are some clothing-related hacks that could prevent pit stains and other unwanted effects of excessive sweating.
First of all, wearing loose clothing so that air can pass over your skin and keep you cooler is a good move. Likewise any figure-hugging clothing is not ideal, especially if it is made using synthetic materials. Breathable cottons and other natural fabrics are generally superior in this respect.
Secondly, check the weather report and plan for the day ahead accordingly, so that you are not stuck wearing an outfit that will leave you with little choice but to sweat and put up with the consequences.
Finally, if sweating is inevitable whatever you wear, select clothes that will be able to mask any damp patches; patterns and dark colours can help in this respect.
Speak to a medical professional
If all else fails and you feel that you are unable to cope with the amount of excess sweat your body is producing, then you should certainly consider talking to your physician to see if there is anything that can be done about this situation.
There are some surgical solutions to excessive sweating, as well as certain medicines and other treatment types to consider. Just make sure that you get the expert advice you need and weigh up all of your options before you come to a decision.
Hopefully you now know that your life does not have to be ruled by sweat; you just need to approach it tactically in order to overcome it, rather than giving up too easily.
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