Repeat after us: Sweating is normal. Everybody sweats. Of course, some of us sweat a little more than others, and often at inopportune times. Like when you’ve just been called into a meeting with your boss, and suddenly you’ve got sweaty hands so slick you can’t turn the doorknob. Or you go to shake a new colleague’s hand, only to realize your palm is dripping.
Of course, sweat can be a good thing. The body uses sweat to cool itself and keep our body temperature in a healthy range—somewhere between 97 and 99 degrees, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. It’s also possible that sweating could help clear the body of toxins (though some experts disagree with this claim),1 keep bacteria in balance,2 and keep the skin hydrated,3 but more research is needed on all accounts. In other words, we need sweat to keep us healthy, but excessive sweating—especially the kind that feels out of control or causes skin issues—might actually be a medical condition.
The name hyperhidrosis may be new to you, but if you have it, you know something’s up. People who suffer from hyperhidrosis sweat a lot. “In some people, it may be as high as four to five times the normal level of sweat,” Marlyanne Pol-Rodriguez, MD, a dermatologist and hyperhidrosis expert at Stanford Health Care, tells SELF, adding that millions of people have this condition. In fact, it’s estimated that 3% of the U.S. population sweats excessively, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
Ahead we’ll explore what actually constitutes a sweaty hand problem, and tips on how to keep your palms and feet feeling fresh and dry.
Normal sweaty hands and feet vs. hyperhidrosis | What causes sweaty hands and feet? | Physical and mental effects | How to keep hands and feet from sweating
How can you tell if your sweaty hands and feet are “normal” or overkill?
The hands and feet have more sweat gland density than any other part of the body. So, if you find that these areas sweat more (but not excessively) than other parts of your body, it could be due to simple biology. Sweat can be triggered by plenty of things, like stress, anxiety, heat, or exercise. Imagine you have to give a presentation at work, and you notice your hands are sweating—maybe the paper you’re holding gets damp. That’s within the realm of normal.
There’s not a super firm line about when sweaty hands go from an annoyance to a condition. Two of the biggest factors are how much you sweat, and how much it affects your life. “The simplest definition of hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating that is beyond what would be expected from whatever the trigger of the sweating is,” Dr. Pol-Rodriguez explains. Basically, for someone with hyperhidrosis, the same triggers—stress, heat, exercise—cause a whole lot more sweat.
Imagine not being able to hold on to a steering wheel while driving, or slipping across a tile floor when barefoot. The sweating with hyperhidrosis is severe enough that it “impairs your normal activities,” S. Max Vale, MD, a dermatologist at UW Medicine, tells SELF. That could mean that sweat is visible even when you’re not exerting yourself—something a doctor will be checking for. The excess moisture can also cause the skin to feel extra soft or peeled. Frequent issues with skin infections like athlete’s foot can even become a problem.
What causes sweaty hands and feet?
For some people, the cause of excess sweatiness is a health condition—like menopause or diabetes—or it could even be the side effect of a medication. That’s called secondary hyperhidrosis. (Worth noting: Some people believe that high blood pressure can cause sweating, but that’s a myth, according to the American Heart Association. High blood pressure rarely has symptoms.)
But many people have primary hyperhidrosis, which has no known cause. One thing that we do know is that the sweat glands themselves are not the problem. They’re not bigger or more plentiful; rather, something is causing them to be hyperactive, Joyce Fox, MD, a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Southern California and practitioner at Cedars-Sinai, tells SELF.
Experts don’t know why this overreaction happens, but it seems to have something to do with the signals your body is sending. “The nervous system is communicating an exaggerated message to the sweat glands,” Dr. Pol-Rodriguez says.
Excessive sweating can affect you physically and emotionally.
Hyperhidrosis can have physical and emotional consequences that affect your daily life, “such as if you’re shaking hands at work and your hands are sweating or you’re staining your clothes,” says Dr. Fox. “It can make people self-conscious and more nervous.” Dr. Pol-Rodriguez adds: “Patients who suffer from hyperhidrosis may experience psychological troubles including depression, social isolation, and decreased confidence.”
As we’ve mentioned, it can also take a toll on your skin. “Excessive sweating on the skin may cause skin irritation, infections, and skin breakdown,” says Dr. Pol-Rodriguez.
If you think you might have hyperhidrosis, it’s best to schedule an appointment with your doctor to discuss your symptoms. “You should see your doctor if you have been experiencing excessive sweating for longer than six months, if your sweating is severe enough that it interferes with daily life, if your sweat is generalized over large areas of your body, or if you experience drenching night sweats,” says Dr. Pol-Rodriguez. Another reason to see your doctor? If your sweaty hands and feet are affecting your mental health.
How to keep your hands and feet from sweating so damn much.
If you sometimes have sweaty hands and feet, but it’s not affecting your quality of life, you might be able to cope by avoiding your triggers or managing them—like carrying a change of socks with you, Dr. Pol-Rodriguez says. But for many people, “the triggers may be things that they either can't control or that they haven’t quite been able to identify,” she explains.
In that case, the first line of defense against sweat is our old standby: antiperspirant. Serious sweaters will want to test out “clinical strength” versions, specifically, brands that contain around 12% to 15% aluminum chloride. Aluminum chloride is a form of salt that works by temporarily blocking sweat gland ducts. Just swipe it on your hands and feet before bed and let it dry overnight, says Dr. Vale, since your body sweats the least then, allowing the aluminum chloride to sink in and do its work. After applying every night for about a week, you may be able to taper down to using it once a week. If your sweating is situational—like during a work presentation or when eating spicy food—Dr. Vale suggests using the antiperspirant the night before those triggers (when you can plan for them, of course).
The one bad thing is that high-concentration aluminum products can cause skin irritation, says Dr. Vale, but it’s more likely to affect the armpits than the hands and feet. He also suggests avoiding the groin and face for the same reason.
If these over-the-counter antiperspirants still aren’t working for you, it’s probably time to talk to a dermatologist. They may prescribe an even stronger aluminum chloride antiperspirant—usually in the 20% concentration range. Prescription antiperspirants are often more of a liquid, which patients might find easier to apply to areas like the hands and feet, Dr. Pol-Rodriguez says.
Other treatments for hyperhidrosis include systemic medications, called anticholinergics (there is also a new wipe form), which seem to work by blocking chemical messengers from triggering the sweat glands, per the International Hyperhidrosis Society; Botox injections; iontophoresis, which is where you place your hands and feet in water and an electric current is delivered to shut down the sweat glands; and as a last resort, surgery. Surgery may include removing sweat glands (typically done in the underarms) or cutting the nerves that send signals to sweat glands (typically done in the palms), per the AAD. Destroying nerves can come with some unpleasant and permanent side effects, so it’s important to talk with your doctor and fully weigh the pros and cons.
Here’s the bottom line: If overly sweaty hands and feet are affecting you physically or mentally, it’s time to reach out to a health professional. “This is a medical condition and it is treatable,” Dr. Pol-Rodriguez says. “You don’t just have to put up with hyperhidrosis.”
Sources:
- Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Monitoring of Heavy Metal Levels in the Major Rivers and in Residents' Blood in Zhenjiang City, China, and Assessment of Heavy Metal Elimination Via Urine and Sweat in Humans
- Glycobiology, Sweating the Small Stuff: Glycoproteins in Human Sweat and Their Unexplored Potential for Microbial Adhesion
- Current Problems in Dermatology, Sweat as an Efficient Natural Moisturizer
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