Anyone who’s ever been trapped in an embarrassing sweat situation would love to know how to prevent underarm sweat.
While sweating is significant in thermoregulation, you can do away with the annoying underarm stain that starts forming on your shirt, making you feel shy and self-conscious. No, you don’t need that kind of stress in your life.
So, check out the following ways on how you can stop your armpits from sweating, both temporarily and for good.
Know your sweat triggers to help you know how to prevent underarm sweat.
Do you get sweaty when you’re nervous? Or is the summer heat making your skin drench with sweat?
There are plenty of reasons why you get sweaty underarms, and your environment and activity level are part of those.
Since perspiration regulates your body temperature, hot weather and increased physical activity can trigger sweating. If possible, stay indoors especially when the sun is up. You may also avoid doing strenuous activities that can cause you to sweat buckets.
And another way on how to prevent underarm sweat is by keeping your stress levels in check. Are you feeling anxious due to a speaking engagement, an interview, or a first date? These can trigger your sweat glands to go into overdrive.
While you can’t avoid stress, understanding your anxiety can help you manage it in the long run. You may also do some stress-relieving techniques like meditation, visualization exercises, yoga, and deep breathing.
Use an antiperspirant.
This has been said time and again, but an antiperspirant is still one of the most convenient ways to prevent underarm sweating.
Antiperspirants contain aluminum chloride that blocks sweat glands. They come in the form of roll-ons, gels, sticks, squeeze bottles, and pads.
It’s easy to find commercial antiperspirants because they’re all over the market. You’ll find formulas designed for men, women, and teenagers.
And if commercial antiperspirants don’t work for you, you may consult your doctor to ask about prescription-strength antiperspirants. They contain around 30 to 45% aluminum chloride, compared to over-the-counter ones that only have 10 to 25%.
Wear fabrics made of breathable materials.
Going out into the sweltering heat? You can prevent underarm sweat to some extent by making sure that you wear light and breathable clothing.
Choose clothes made of natural fabrics like linen, cotton, silk, and wool. Avoid synthetic materials like polyester and nylon because they don’t let air pass through to your skin. Instead, they trap heat and moisture, making your armpits sweat.
Change your diet.
If you want to know how to prevent underarm sweat from the inside, then you should also look at what you’re putting inside your body.
Some foods and drinks can make you sweat more, so it’s best to avoid them. These include beer, liquor, onion, garlic, spicy foods, and processed foods.
On the other hand, you may want to eat foods that help reduce sweating, like calcium-rich dairy foods, oats, sweet potatoes, green tea, and fruits and vegetables with high water content.
Stay hydrated.
Drinking water naturally lowers your body temperature, creating a cooling effect.
Drink at least two liters or eight glasses of water throughout the day to keep you cool and hydrated. Do this especially in hot weather to avoid getting dehydrated.
But try to stay away from too much coffee and other caffeinated drinks. Caffeine stimulates your nervous system, raising your heart rate and metabolism and causing you to sweat more.
Explore natural remedies on how to prevent underarm sweat.
Want to go the natural route? You may try concocting some home remedies to help you get rid of armpit sweat.
One of the most popular home remedies for underarm sweat is apple cider vinegar. Acting as a natural astringent, apple cider vinegar tightens pores and controls sweat production. Soak a cotton ball with it and apply it to your underarms overnight. Wash it off in the morning.
You may also try using black tea, which contains tannic acid that also constricts pores to reduce sweat. Simply steep two black tea bags in three to four cups of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. After cooling, dab it on your underarms.
Another natural astringent that you can use is witch hazel, which works great for both facial and underarm sweating. On how to prevent underarm sweat using witch hazel, soak a cotton pad with the solution and apply it on the affected area. You may leave it as is or wash it off after 30 minutes.
Consult your doctor.
If all the above measures don’t help you on how to prevent underarm sweat, then perhaps it’s high time that you ask the help of a professional.
You have several medical options to treat excessive underarm sweating. One is Botox, which involves injecting the Botulinum toxin under your arms to block the nerves that stimulate sweating. The results can last anywhere from three to six months.
You may also try taking oral anticholinergic medications. Anticholinergics block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which stimulates sweat glands. However, since drugs are taken orally, expect to experience systemic effects. Aside from dry underarms, you may also experience constipation and dry mouth.
If you want to know how to prevent underarm sweat permanently, you can ask your doctor about miraDry treatments. This groundbreaking method involves the use of a handheld device that emits microwave energy beneath your skin’s surface, thus destroying the sweat, odor, and hair glands underneath.
Willing to go into surgery?
If you’ve already exhausted all efforts to prevent underarm sweating but to no avail, then you can ask your doctor about endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy or ETS surgery.
This operation involves clipping the nerves connected to your sweat glands so that they won’t be stimulated anymore. Just be mindful that you may start sweating more profusely in other parts of your body as you try to compensate for the absence of sweat in your underarms.
Does any of these methods resonate with you? Give it a try to help you figure out which technique best prevents underarm sweating for you.
Or if you’re willing to take more advanced treatments like miraDry, schedule a Free Consultation with our certified miraDry provider here in Face+Body Cosmetic Surgery. Let’s discuss how miraDry can help you stop underarm sweating, boost your confidence, and increase the quality of your life.
