The right clothes can help you reduce sweating and avoid sweat stains. Here's how to regain your confidence when excessive underarm sweating has you running for cover.
If picking out what to wear in the morning is a challenge for the average person, it’s doubly difficult for those with hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating. Some people with hyperhidrosis sweat excessively when overly heated or stressed, or when they exert too much energy. Others experience excessive underarm sweating for no reason at all or sweat in areas of the body where it isn’t as typical, like the hands and feet.
According to the International Hyperhidrosis Society, millions of people around the world experience hyperhidrosis. It's a treatable condition, yet more than half of those affected just opt to grin and bear it. Jeanine B. Downie, MD, director of Image Dermatology in Montclair, N.J., says, talking to your dermatologist so they can help you treat the cause of your sweating should really be your first step.
While you and your dermatologist work to determine the best course of treatment for you, try these tips to help dress for comfort and confidence:
- Start with sweat pads or “shields.” These over-the-counter absorbent pads, usually made of cotton, are placed under the armpit to capture sweat and prevent it from getting onto clothing. Look for disposable designs that adhere right to your clothes. Some brands can be sewn into clothing to help them stay in place.
- Choose breathable clothing. Materials such as cotton and linen absorb and release moisture quickly, allowing the fabric to dry and breathe better than other options.
- Dress in layers. Wear a breathable undershirt to absorb sweat before it reaches the outer layer of your clothing. Adding a jacket or cardigan in a breathable material may also help keep sweat from coming into view. Just be sure your layers are thin or appropriate to the season — you don’t want to feel overheated and worsen the problem.
- Avoid base layers made of wicking materials. Materials that wick sweat away from the body are great when you’re only wearing that one top. When you’re layering clothes, you don’t want to wick sweat away from your body and onto your outer layer of clothing.
- Wear knit fabrics. Sweaters and jersey knit clothing items are less likely to show sweat stains than a light fabric like silk.
- Consider clothing color. Dark colors, like navy and black, are less likely to show wet circles from underarm sweat. Light colors, such as soft pink and white, are also good options. However, although a new crisp white cotton shirt may absorb sweat well, watch for yellow stains that can develop over time. Light colors, like grays and blues, tend to show more sweat stains, as do very bright colors. Try a sweat test before you dress — wet a corner of the top with water and see how noticeable it is.
- Pick patterns. Patterns, too, can camouflage sweat.
- Keep an extra set of clothes at work or in your car. By changing clothes when you start to feel dampness coming on, you lessen the chances of sweating through to your outer layer of clothing. And always having a spare shirt on hand in case of a sweat emergency will help you regain your confidence.
Finally, the best way to boost your confidence is by finding the right treatment for your hyperhidrosis. Treatment options to keep excessive sweating under control range from prescription deodorants to botulinum toxin type A injections to surgery. A recent FDA-approved treatment option is a procedure that microwaves the sweat glands, destroying many of them.
As not all options are covered by insurance, work with your doctor to determine which course of treatment is best for you. Luckily, many people find relief with one of the first-line treatments and by wearing sensible clothing.
