Taking a shower in the morning before beginning the day's work is expected to rejuvenate your body, mind and soul. Cold or lukewarm water with the soft smell of a mild soap may go a long way to add some joy to your senses. And you may really cherish the tender touch of your towel while pressing it against that last drop of water on your skin. But all your feelings of extreme rejuvenation may soon vanish with some more "water droplets" coming out from your body in the form of sticky sweat. This is the case with people who experience excessive sweating. They are the people who actually undergo an "involuntary bathing" after the morning shower. They are the ones who move around with sticky shirts, ever-wet hairs, "glossy" foreheads and even with foul smelling underarms.
What are the Causes of Excessive Sweating?
The hypothalamus (one of the important portion of the brain with a variety of functions one of them is controlling body's temperature) regulates and controls sweating. In cases of Hyperhidrosis (a condition characterized by abnormally increased sweating), something goes wrong between the message that the brain sends to the sweat nerves and the amount of sweat produced. In some cases, excessive sweating is caused by an underlying condition such as an infection, chronic illness, anxiety disorders or a disorder that affects the hormones in the body such as hyperthyroidism. Other factors that contribute to an excessive sweating include genetics, alcoholism and side effects associated with certain medications.
Tips to Control Underarm Sweating
- Let Your Skin Breathe: Let your skin breathe by wearing loose and light clothing. Cotton and linen are great options, but avoid synthetic fabrics and silks as much as you can.
- Take Baths 2 to 3 Times a Day: Take baths with hot water and an antibacterial soap for 2 to 3 times a day.
- Carry a Handkerchief: Carrying a hankie will always pay off if you are bothered with facial or hand sweating.
- Drink Loads of Water: Excessive sweating may dehydrate you and hence, you should take care to drink loads of water to replenish the lost fluids.
- Eat a Balanced Diet: A healthy balance diet, with plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains is a must for your overall well-being. You should avoid spicy and strong smelling foods such as garlic, onion and hot peppers. Avoid the chemically processed ones as well.
- Limit Your Caffeine Intake: Limit your intake of caffeinated drinks.
- Stay De-Stressed: stay calm and focused with techniques taught in yoga and meditation classes.
- Use Baking Soda and Lemon on Your Underarms: If armpits are the ones causing the profuse perspiration, rub wool pads soaked in baking soda and lemon for a dry feeling.
The Home Remedies
- Drink Tomato Juice: Drink a cup of tomato juice in the morning to provide you with a rich amount of antioxidants which have the capability to regulate sweat production.
- Drink a Mixture of Gooseberry, Sea Salt and Lime Juices: Prepare a mixture of gooseberry, sea salt and lime juices. Massage your body gently with this mixture before you take a shower.
- Apply Lemon Juice or Apple Cider Vinegar on Your Armpits: Apple cider vinegar and lemon juice are the most popular natural home remedies for controlling excessive sweating on underarms. Apply either of these natural remedies to tackle excessive sweating in a natural way. Use a combination of lemon juice and baking soda for better results.
- Apply Powdered Horse Gram: Use roasted horse gram in the powdered form by applying this powder/flour on the affected areas to combat excessive perspiration.
- Use Talcum Powder: Use talcum powder after a shower to get rid of excessive sweating and the resulting body odor.
- Apply Potato Slices on Your Underarms: Consider rubbing a slice of potato before applying deodorant. This is one of the best anti-sweating remedies.
- Take Bath in Water Containing Pomegranate Peels: Add some pomegranate peels in warm bath water and bathe with this water to control excessive sweating.
- Take Dried Sage Boiled in Water: Stir one tsp of dried sage in a cup of boiling water for about 10 to 15 minutes and strain the mixture. Consider taking this herbal remedy for 2 to 4 times a day.
- Apply Alum Dissolved in Water: Alum (phitkiri) dissolved in water can be used to wash the affected parts.
- Apply Ground Herad on Your Body: Harad (haritaki), in the ground form, if applied on the body for 10 minutes before bath, may help to handle the problem of excessive sweating.
Moving around with a wet shirt stuck at your back is definitely not an amusing experience. Wiping your face after very ten minutes may frustrate those who are around you. And staying alert and conscious about your underarm odor may divert your attention from important tasks. Hence, the only way to control these activities is by controlling sweating- the root cause of multiple showers, the dumping of wet hankies, the yellow stains on the shirt and the constant fear of social rejection due to body odor.
