8 Methods To Help You Stop Sweating

Beads of sweat on your forehead, sweaty palms, damp underarms. Sweat can happen almost anywhere on our bodies (and typically happens during the most inconvenient time).

Whether you’re sweating more due to rising temperatures (hey, heat wave!), from working out or from a stressful situation, being covered with a slick of sweat can be embarrassing.

But sweat plays a vital role in how our bodies function, says dermatology specialist Lauren Zamborsky, CNP.

“The main function of sweating is to control our body’s temperature. Sweating assists in a process called thermoregulation, which controls your body’s temperature,” she explains. “It can also assist in the hydration of your skin and balance your fluids and electrolytes internally.”

So, now that we know why we sweat, what can we do about it? Zamborsky offers up some advice on how to stop sweating so much.

How to stop sweating

While we need to sweat to regulate our body’s temperature, there are some ways you can reduce how much you sweat. Are you ready to stay cool? Try these remedies for sweating.

Use an antiperspirant

Not sure how to stop armpit sweat? You might want to check your medicine cabinet to make sure you’re using an antiperspirant and not just a deodorant.

Antiperspirant works differently by blocking your sweat glands instead of just masking your smelly sweat.

Wear breathable fabrics

Opt for cotton when choosing your clothes, as they’re the most breathable. Even mesh fabrics can help keep your body cool.

“You want to stay away from synthetic fabrics like nylon, acrylic and spandex, as they don’t necessarily allow moisture to be whisked away from your skin,” says Zamborsky.

Avoid or limit certain foods

You probably associate spicy foods with sweating, but Zamborsky says those aren’t the only types of food that can crank up your body’s temperature and have you mopping the sweat from your forehead.

“Processed foods and alcohol have high-fat content, while caffeine, sugary foods and spicy foods have low-fiber content, which oftentimes causes the digestive system to work harder to break down those foods,” she explains. “If our body is working harder, it might increase the internal temperature of our body.”

She also says that many of these foods contain a lot of sodium.

“Your body is going to be detoxing all that salt in the form of urine and sweat.”

Eat certain foods

So, what should you be eating if you want to limit how much you sweat?

Zamborsky says foods like almonds, milk, bananas, whey proteins and fruits and vegetables like leafy greens, watermelon and grapes can help reduce sweat.

“These options don’t overwork your digestive system,” she notes. “They tend to have either high water content or a decent amount of calcium.”

Stay hydrated

This is probably a no-brainer: Drink water and stay hydrated.

How much water should you be drinking each day? That depends on factors like your diet, physical activity and health.

“Even if you’re staying hydrated, you’re still going to sweat,” Zamborsky says. “But staying hydrated will help prevent you from sweating too much.”

Quit smoking

Smoking is bad for you for a variety of reasons. When it comes to how much you sweat, puffing on a cigarette can lead to sweating.

“We know that nicotine can act similarly to caffeine and that it can increase our body’s temperature and it can make our heart rate increase,” shares Zamborsky. “It essentially causes our sweat glands to go into overdrive.”

Think twice about natural remedies

If you’ve done an online search for natural remedies for excessive sweating, you’ll likely find a lot. Some examples include using apple cider vinegar under your arms, rubbing a slice of potato under your arms and applying a baking soda/cornstarch mixture under your arms.

“There’s not a lot of like evidence-based research behind these methods,” stresses Zamborsky. “While some treatments can be effective, the results are going to vary between people. And there could be potential side effects associated with these treatments as well.”

If you’re interested in trying a natural remedy, you should do your homework and even talk to a doctor before starting any new kind of treatment.

Consider medical treatments

If you’ve tried a lot of deodorants and/or antiperspirants and they’re ineffective, you may want to talk to your doctor about other options. You could have hyperhidrosis, a medical condition where you sweat more than your body needs. And treatments can depend on where you’re sweating.

“If you’re sweat excessively all over, we’re probably going to treat that differently if you’re just sweating excessively in your armpits or on your hands and feet,” clarifies Zamborsky.

Treatment options for excessive sweating include:

• Medications: Options can include anticholinergic agents like glycopyrrolate and oxybutynin and medicated wipes such as glycopyrronium tosylate and Qbrexza®. “Medicated wipes are applied to the skin,” says Zamborsky. “Generally speaking, it’s a very well-tolerated treatment. But the biggest risk is that it can cause skin irritation because it can do too good of a job at preventing sweating.”
• Botulinum toxin (Botox®) injections: Botox can be used to treat sweating in specific areas such as your hands, feet, scalp and armpits. “It’s typically something administered in a clinic once every three months, which has its benefits because some people don’t necessarily want to take a medication every day,” she adds.
• Iontophoresis: “This specialized therapy uses an electrical current to inhibit sweating,” states Zamborsky. “It’s most commonly used on the hands and the feet.”
• Surgery: If other forms of treatment aren’t working, your doctor may suggest surgery. Options include sweat gland removal surgery and endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy, where the nerve that tells your glands to produce sweat is cut.

Bottom line?

While it may make you uncomfortable to talk to a doctor about how much you’re sweating, we don’t want you to sweat sweating.

“If it’s impacting your daily life or having an impact on your mental health, let us know,” says Zamborsky. “We want you to have a happy, healthy life and we can offer a variety of treatments to help.”