Sweaty hands might seem like a trivial problem for some people, but it actually affects a person’s life immensely. Having sweaty hands will make you feel embarrassed to use them all the time whether to shake hands, high-five, or hold hands with your significant other. The sweat can ruin the pages of a book you read or get your laptop all wet while working.
An individual who suffers from hyperhidrosis will always feel anxious in situations where they should use or show their hands to others. However, it’s not a lost cause, as there are several ways to handle sweaty hands.
How to stop sweaty hands and palms
Drink lots of water
Although it sounds counter-intuitive, drinking lots of water will not make you sweat more. You can prevent sweating from your hands by staying dehydrated throughout the day. The trick lies in the fact that water helps cool the body, which reduces its temperature and therefore inhibits sweating. Additionally, if you’re in a stressful situation, drinking water will calm your nerves and reduce stress, which is one of the reasons for sweaty hands. Aside from helping you prevent sweaty hands, water is good for your overall health.
Apply baking soda
This is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to stop excessive hand sweating. We know that baking soda has various applications in cleaning, whitening teeth, and cooking, but it’s also an excellent antiperspirant and deodorant. It helps reduce sweating and evaporates sweat quickly because it is alkaline. Baking soda is in every kitchen or bathroom so you won’t have trouble finding it. Make a baking soda paste by mixing two teaspoons of it with water and then rub the paste on your hands for five minutes.
Carry alcohol-based wipes
Alcohol-based wipes can stop hands from sweating for a short time. They are beneficial when you’re going for an interview or an event. The secret is alcohol has pore-shrinking abilities which will stop them from sweating for a short time. Wipe your hands for a couple of minutes with these wipes and your hands will stay dry for any important event or meeting you’re attending. However, it might not be the best solution if your hands sweat excessively.
Use antiperspirants
The best way to control sweating anywhere in your body is by using antiperspirants. They can be used on your hands to reduce sweating as they shrink and plug sweat pores. Antiperspirants come in different forms such as sticks, sprays, and roll-ons. The most convenient antiperspirants for sweaty hands are creams, lotions, and gels as they are easier to apply to the hands. You might have to try different antiperspirants to find the one that works well with your hands. It’s recommended to dry your hands before applying an antiperspirant as it won’t be as effective on sweaty hands. Antiperspirants can reduce sweating for 1-3 hours which is enough to get you through most social interactions.
Natural remedies
Herbal remedies have been used for centuries to treat various health conditions, including hand sweating. You can explore different natural remedies that may prevent or reduce sweating. One natural antiperspirant is sage, as it contains tannic acid. This natural astringent plugs and shrinks sweat pores, which reduces sweating from your hands. Add 4-5 sage tea bags into boiling water and let it steep. When it cools down, soak your hands in the solution for around 30 minutes. You can also drink sage tea to prevent excessive sweat, just make sure not to drink the solution you soaked your hands into.
Try Botox
Surprisingly, Botox is one of the most efficient ways to stop sweating profusely from your hands for a long time. It works by blocking receptors that signal the sweat glands to start sweating. Botox should be administered by a dermatologist who injects it into your hand. In the best-case scenario, your hand will stop sweating for 6 months, but the results vary from one person to another.
Although Botox is FDA-approved for treating excessive sweating of armpits, there are no conclusive results on its safety and efficacy in treating sweaty hands. Additionally, Botox treatments can be quite expensive. If you’ve tried everything to stop the sweating and nothing worked, Botox may be your only solution.
Visit a doctor
When your hands start affecting the quality of your life, you should consider visiting a doctor as they might have the right solution for you. However, for a proper diagnosis, you must have suffered from this condition for at least 6 months with visible and excessive sweating on the hands. With a small test, the doctor should be able to diagnose the problem and recommend a course of treatment.
End note
Trying these methods to stop or reduce sweating on your hands can improve the quality of your life significantly. Try one method at a time to see if it’s working for you. Don’t feel embarrassed to see a doctor as your comfort is more important than any other consideration.
Featured image: Geetanjal Khanna/Unsplash
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