Do you sweat excessively?

Sweating is one of those awkward beauty issues that we don’t have control over or enjoy talking about – but it’s something we deal with daily. I have a friend who actually never sweats. It could be a 30°C day and while the rest of us mortals reapply our translucent powder and pull out a load of blotting papers, her make-up remains perfectly matte. It’s always been a wonder to me and it got me thinking – how much sweat is normal and is there such a thing as excessive sweating? I did some digging and spoke to Director at Brisbane Skin and Specialist Dermatologist Dr Shobhan Manoharan to find out more.
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What causes excessive sweating?
So it turns out there is a scientific name for excessive sweating. It’s known as hyperhidrosis (HH) and it can be primary or secondary. Primary HH is when there is an overactivity in the part of the brain that controls your body’s temperature, causing the sweat glands to produce more sweat than usual. Dr Manoharan says this can be made worse by anxiety, exercise, weather and spicy foods.
Secondary HH occurs when neurological conditions such as a tumour, stroke or hormonal problems are present. It can also take place when drugs such as antidepressants, caffeine or amphetamines are in the system.
Can excessive sweating be prevented?
Dr Manoharan’s tips for helping to reduce excessive sweating include:
- Avoid spicy foods, caffeine and drugs/medication
- Wear loose fitting cotton clothing
- Reduce synthetics (if possible)
- Keep cool in warm weather
- Reduce anxiety levels
If excessive sweating continues despite taking these measures, Dr Manoharan recommends seeing a specialist dermatologist who can offer a wide range of successful treatments. These include:
- Creams and tablets
- Iontophoresis for palm/sole sweating
- Botox
- miraDry treatment
- Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (surgical option as a last resort)
Does where I sweat mean something?
It turns out that genetics may play a role in where you tend to sweat more. Dr Manoharan says it’s a very individual thing and it varies from person to person, but bilateral axillary (armpit) HH and palmoplantar (hands/feet) HH are the most common forms of sweating. When you exercise, sweating is often worst on the scalp, (finally an explanation as to why I look like I’ve just washed my hair after a workout!) as well as the trunk and armpits. Anxiety-related sweating is “often localised to [the] palms, armpits and face”.
Dr Manoharan shares a fun fact: there’s a condition known as Frey’s syndrome which occurs when there is nerve damage in the cheek area and results in sweating and flushing whenever the individual is hungry. I don’t know about you but if I suffered from Frey’s syndrome I’d pretty much be sweating all the time!
Thankfully, no matter how much you sweat there are plenty of products to help prevent excessive sweating. This way you can keep your armpits smelling fresh and your hair clean, even after a workout! Here are a few of our top picks:
Dove Hair Therapy Daily Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner, Rexona Clinical Protection, LYNX Gold Temptation Body Spray
Weleda Wild Rose Deodorant, Redwin Aluminium Free Deodorant, NIVEA Protect & Care Anti-Perspirant Deodorant, Mitchum Clinical Gel
Have you ever had an issue with sweating? What’s your go-to deodorant?
Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?
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122 Member Comments
i absolutely love mitchum but not the gel the powder, as it keeps me dry all day, although when using the powder formula you must let it dry or it will g on your clothes and tends to stain blacks but it can be washed off, but to me this is the best deodorant as it keeps my dry, selling good, and feeling fresh all day.
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Me too! I prefer the Mitchum powder fresh over the gel. But more because after you've swiped with the gel it continues to ooze out of the holes.
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I also had the same issue with the oozing hence why i prefer the powder for so many reasons.
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I know someone who had something done to prevent sweaty palms as was becoming an issue but then he ended up getting very sweaty armpits which never happened before!
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Botox is good for excessive sweating.
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I use Rexona Clinical Protection but I'll be switching back to cornflour and bicarb soon...
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Never had an issue with excessive sweating.
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I used dri clor many many years ago and it helped. I used to leave embarrassing wet patches in my clothes. I used to walk around with my arms held stiffly by my sides to hide the patches. I used dri clor, I think twice a week at night. Not sure for how long. You had to apply to clean dry armpits and it would sting. Some nights worse than others and it would be itchy. BUT IT WAS WORTH IT!! I still sweat but like a normal person. The only problem is you can’t use it on your face. Which is where I still have a sweat problem. It’s really embarrassing when you are talking to someone and you can start to feel the beads of sweat forming on your upper lip area. So then you start to get really anxious about it which of course makes it worse. I have been looking into other treatments and have tried 3b face saver but that doesn’t really work well under makeup.
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Have heard that botox works! Definitely on armpits, but some use it for other areas to treat HH.
I sweat excessively too. Do not care. Caffeine, spices, cooked food , excess protein/fat, any physical effort, all make it go out of control. So I manage to keep it under control when I stick to proper diet.
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I feel as though i'm always sweating, it can be any time of the day and i'll be sweating, most annoying thing.
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Thankfully I do not sweat much. I still always take a shower after exercise.
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I've never had the excessive sweating so that's a good thing but yeah I get the normal amount like everyone else especially on a really hot day & I'm outside it happens but overall it's fine.
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Only after a hot yoga class I sweat like crazy.
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Any sort of liquid foundation or tinted cream leads to sweat just rolling down my face. I have to used pressed powder, but even that would go if it is really hot. No makeup is life in summer
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It doesn't matter what the weather is as soon as I apply foundation to my face the sweat starts rolling. I don't know what causes it. I can go out natural and never have a problem, I don't sweat excessively anywhere else.
Just my face as soon as I apply makeup.
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I hate the heat and avoid situations where I can't control how hot I get as much as possible. Definitely not easy and too simplistic to deal with true problems.
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I've tried Redwin, I really didn't like the smell when it reacted to my skin. I am using the Rexona Clinical Protection, the Mitchum one is good too. I alternate between the two, depending on which one is cheaper at the time. The thing that annoys me is if you get them on your clothes, it shows up a lot and is hard to get off. It is also hard to wash off in the shower, and feels quite sticky.
I really want to try the Weleda one to reduce on the chemicals I use.
I also like the NIVEA one, but I need to reapply it throughout the day, as it stops working quickly.
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My face sweats with just a little beat of effort. It has always made me embarrassed as I always feel I sweet more than anyone. And at the same time and I am very sensitive to cold. I have heard it can be related to the liver functions. Looking for a deodorant that works for me is a challenge and since I just moved to Sydney I just chose what I know works, Speed Stick for women that last longer.
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I find I sweat so much! Anxiety hits and my hands are soaking, it's rather embarrassing. I also take antidepressants so thats probably causing excessive sweating too. Will be trying out these tips and tricks to see what helps.
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Sweating after a good exercise is my most favorite kind of way to sweat. It tells me I'm actually making progress.
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interesting picks. Will definitely try mitchum as everyone is okay with it
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Ugh I sweat so much I only wear black during summer so you can't see it!
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I find I very rarely sweat, even when working out.
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I take medication for anxiety they make me sweat big time! My biggest problem is across my nose and under my eyes, I've tried a couple of different make up products but nothing stays put. My eye make runs and my base goes icky. So very rarly ware make up now but the deodorant I like using most is the normal Mitchum roll on, I like to change every now and then but Mitchum seams to last the longest/strongest against my extra sweatiness where other brands fail big time. I'm talking roll on types and I use a boby spray too.
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I have also used Michums for most of my life, but lately find that it builds up a residue.
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