Sweating is actually essential for regulating our body temperature as humans, but some of us sweat more than others. Although some visible sweating is expected after physical exertion or playing sport, it can be an issue when you’re struggling with perspiration with no visible reason.
Why Do Armpits Sweat So Much?
All over the body, sweat is secreted by our sweat glands, located underneath our skin. Men have between 2 and 4 million sweat glands underneath the surface of their skin – that’s an average of 100-200 sweat glands per square centimetre of skin.
There are two different types of sweat glands:
- Eccrine sweat glands: these are mainly located on the hands, feet and forehead and secrete odourless thermoregulatory sweat, comprising water and mineral salts.
- Apocrine glands: these are located in the armpits and genitals – their activity mostly responds to psychological stimuli, resulting in emotional sweating made up of pheromones. This type of sweating occurs from puberty onwards but is less common in later life.
In order for sweat to be visible, it must be carried from underneath the dermis (skin layer) via a. Pores. So shaving the armpits have any impact in reducing underarm sweat?
Can Shaving the Armpits Reduce the Risk of Sweating?
It’s all about the way that you shave; a Gillette study has shown that shaving can be 2.5 times more effective than washing with soap alone when it comes to reducing underarm odour.
After shaving their armpits and washing them with soap, there was found to be a 57% reduction in body odour; in contrast, washing with soap alone was found to reduce body odour by 23%. This shows that shaving under the arms could help to reduce the risk of body odour caused by underarm sweating.
Underarm and other body hair can become a conductor for sweat, moistening your clothes simply because the hair is in contact with the material. If underarm hair has been removed, perspiration will likely settle on your skin instead and will only become visible when you move or rub against the fabric.
Even just trimming could help to reduce the visibility of sweating underarms, reducing the size of a sweat patch.
Can Diet Affect Sweating?
Did you know that eating certain foods could make you more likely to sweat? Drinks rich in caffeine and spicy foods can stimulate neurotransmitters and trigger activity in your sweat glands, which could make you sweat more.
Good Hygiene is Key
Good hygiene is key to helping to keep your sweat levels in check. Make sure you’re washing under your arms thoroughly with soap in the shower each day, patting them dry before you apply antiperspirant.
Follow these tips for a more comfortable summer and find out more about how to adapt your grooming routine for the warmer weather here:
