Put an End to Nervous Sweating … With Your Mind?

Scientists know there are two types of sweating: the “thermal” kind—that dampness you feel during a workout or on a hot day; and psychological sweating—that beading on your forehead when your boss singles you out in a meeting, or the clammy hands you wipe on your jeans before a first date. A Men’s Health survey found that 73 percent of nearly 800 men wished they’d sweat less. And of 970 women surveyed, 84 percent thought it was gross when a man sweated on a date.

We want to appear confident, but our bodies scream, “I’m freaking out!” Then we go from sweating because we’re stressed to stressing because we’re sweating, says Carisa Perry-Parrish, Ph.D., a psychologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Sweat Disorders in Baltimore.

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There are a number of evolutionary and biological theories to explain why we sweat.

There are a number of evolutionary and biological theories to explain why we sweat. One theory is that sweating makes our skin slippery, and in a fight-or-flight situation, predators wouldn’t have been able to grab and hold on to us. Another theory is that sweaty hands could help aid a quick escape from danger—helping us scamper up a tree or cliff by creating tiny little vacuums, much in the same way that a licked finger helps you turn a page in a book.

It’s also believed that nervous sweating helped us save our clans. Nervous sweat has a distinct smell that has been proven to trigger the parts of thee brain associated with alertness, and this could have warned others that there was a danger nearby.

But evolution aside, what can the modern man do about nervous sweating?

For most people, the best way to treat nervous sweating is to deal with the nervousness itself, according to Perry-Parrish.

Think about the last time you were made uncomfortable by your excessive sweat, and ask yourself: “Were you doing something really embarrassing, or were you magnifying it in our mind?”

Perry-Parrish says that more often than not, we imagine the worst-case scenario—even if everything is going perfectly find. And when that happens, our mind tells our body to start sweating.

Her advice for the next time this happens: Take stock of the situation. What’s the reaction of others around you? If no one else seems unhappy or uncomfortable, it’s likely that you’re unnecessarily stressing—and sweating.

A cool head plus a little perspective: That’s what defeats nervous sweating.

And if that doesn’t work, here are some other options you can discuss with your doctor:

A prescription roll-on

With three times the sweat-stopping metallic salt as OTC antiperspirants, Rx-strength options, such as Drysol, may dry you up.

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Shock therapy

You place your hands or feet in a pan of water while a device passes a mild electric current through it for about 20 minutes. Scientists aren’t exactly sure why it works, but three zaps a week can help you sweat less.

Botox shots

The neurotoxin injections that smooth wrinkles can also block the nerve signals that stimulate sweat.

But you may need booster shots: In a French study, first-time users saw sweat return to baseline after 4 1/2 months.

Anti-sweat pills

Anecdotal evidence suggests that anticholinergics, drugs that block your body’s sweat trigger, can work.

But the pills may include side affects, including dry mouth, constipation, and blurred vision.

Curated Article and Photo Credit from Men’s Health