How to Stop Sweating
You expect sweat to show up sometimes, like during a workout. Other times sweat starts forming when you are nervous, like when you are about to give a presentation. This can be embarrassing, so it is good to know how to stop sweating.
Excess Sweating
An overabundance of sweating is called excess sweating or hyperhidrosis. Like normal sweat, the sweat glands respond to stimuli, but with hyperhidrosis, they overreact and produce more sweat than necessary. In hyperhidrosis, sweat glands do not really turn off. With excess sweating, one specific area or the whole body can be affected. It’s most active in the hands, feet, armpits and groin due to the higher concentration of sweat glands in these areas.
14 At-Home and Natural Ways to Stop Sweating
Most antiperspirants contain toxins, but there are some natural approaches that you can try to reduce sweating. There is little research to recommend natural remedies, however, some people swear by their effectiveness.
1. Herbs
Certain herbs found in tea can actually prevent excess sweating. These include sage, which you can take as a tablet or brew as a tea, chamomile, valerian root and St. John's wort. Sage leaves contain tannic acid. This component restricts sweat glands, therefor reducing perspiration. For chamomile, if drinking the tea doesn't help, then dab cotton balls that are soaked with the blend on your armpits or where you are experiencing excessive sweating. This can be done with valerian and St. John's wort too.
2. Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine that uses needles that are inserted into the body. While it is often used for pain and stress relief, it can potentially help sweating too. A study in the British Medical Journal focused on the use of acupuncture to help with menopause night sweats. While menopause is not the same as hyperhidrosis, both do contain excessive and uncontrollable sweating episodes as symptoms. Positive results were seen after three to six weeks of treatment, and research shows that acupuncture can be used to treat stress-induced sweating too.
3. Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a process that includes electricity. The aim is to help you gain control of your bodily functions, like your heart rate and bladder urgency. Biofeedback specific to sweat glands can be used to treat hyperhidrosis and high blood pressure. It can also promote relaxation, which can be beneficial if you suffer from stress-induced sweating.
4. Meditation
Meditation is a silent mind-body-breathing practice that allows you to sit with your thoughts and feelings, and it has been proven to reduce stress. If your doctor has told you that stress might be the cause of your sweating, then they may recommend meditation. You can partake in it at a local yoga studio, or there are apps and videos online.
5. Apple Cider Vinegar
Drinking a vinegar concoction or applying apple cider vinegar to your sweaty areas each day removes bacteria and helps close pores.
6. Tomato Juice
Tomato-rich diets or dinking tomato juice can shrink your pores and can help control sweating.
7. Green Tea
Drinking green tea keeps you calm, and the tea contains both magnesium and vitamin B which constricts your sweat glands.
8. Baking Soda
This absorbs water and counteracts the acids in sweat which is why you will find it as an ingredient in some natural deodorants.
9. Talcum Powder
A dusting of talcum powder on sweaty areas helps slow bacterial growth and minimize odor.
10. Tea Tree Oil
Like apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil acts as an astringent, when you apply this oil to your underarms you should see reduced sweating after a few days.
11. Coconut Oil
Lauric acid in coconut oil kills sweat-causing bacteria.
12. Lemon
Naturally reduces excessive sweating because of its acidity. Leaving lemon juice on your underarms for thirty minutes helps reduce sweat, especially if you mix the juice with baking soda.
13. Salt
Salt or salt crystals are known to absorb sweat, block pores and keep skin dry. Rub the salt crystals onto your skin and rinse off.
14. Wheatgrass Juice
Wheatgrass juice has natural detox elements. While it is healthy and contains vitamins A, C, B12 and B6, it helps to flush out toxins from your body too. Toxins escape your body through sweat or urine. Since wheatgrass can help with this, it may prevent excess sweating. All you need is 1 tablespoon per day.
What About Antiperspirants and Deodorants?
Antiperspirants can only do so much to make you stop sweating and deodorant only covers up odor. Antiperspirants work by plugging the sweat glands, which helps reduce the watermarks sweat leaves on clothing. This blockage sends messages throughout your body to signal that it needs to stop producing sweat.
What You Eat Affects How You Sweat
Another reason to eat healthy is to minimize your sweat output. Some changes to your diet that may help include avoiding spicy foods and caffeine, eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day and including potassium-rich foods in your diet to push water out of the body. Some say that a gluten-free diet also reduces sweat.
Your Clothes May Contribute to Sweat
What you wear may make you sweat more or less. Loose clothing is always recommended. Material is important too and you should avoid synthetic fibers, like nylon. For sweaty feet, choose socks that are made of natural fibers since they are better at absorbing moisture and shoes that are made from natural materials.
Medication, Prescriptions and Medical Methods to Stop Sweating
Of course, if a natural or home remedy does not work, you can see a doctor for more advanced solutions to reduce sweating. They may suggest:
- Prescription cloth wipes containing glypyrronium tosylate.
- Prescription medicines to prevent the sweat glands from producing sweat.
- Iontophoresis treatment for those who sweat from the hands and feet. This procedure uses electric current at a low voltage in a pan of water where you immerse your hands or feet. The electric current slows down sweat glands temporarily.
- Botulinum toxin injections into the underarms to temporarily block a chemical in the body that stimulates the sweat glands.
- Surgery to remove sweat glands from the underarms.
- Surgery to stop the nerve signals that your body sends to the sweat glands by either cutting or destroying the nerves.
When to Seek Medical Care
Always keep your doctor up to date on the remedies you are considering, including natural remedies, because the products, herbs and medicines may not interact well together. You should make an appointment with your doctor if you start to sweat more than usual, your sweating disrupts your daily routine or you experience night sweats. Seek immediate medical attention if sweating comes with chills, light-headedness, chest pain, nausea or a temperature over 40F.
Sweat does not have to be embarrassing. By trying out some of the methods listed above, you should find solutions on how to sweat less.