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Sweating is a normal bodily function, and everyone sweats throughout the day. Dealing with the occasional outpour of sweat is terrible in itself. Now, imagine dealing with this on a constant, regular basis! To make things worse, some people also suffer from excessive sweating on the face. Luckily though, there are ways to manage and reduce excessive sweating on the face. Read on to understand everything about excessive sweating on the face and what you can do about it.
What Is Excessive Facial Sweating?
Sweating is a normal part of everyone’s bodily function. We sweat from our underarms, head, hands, feet, groin, and face in most cases. The whole process of sweating helps with the regulation of your body temperature. However, when you begin to sweat more than usual and for extended periods of time, the chances are that you may be suffering from a condition known as craniofacial hyperhidrosis (1).
Craniofacial hyperhidrosis or excessive facial sweating is a medical condition in which one tends to sweat more than usual, to the point where it can make your face completely damp and even drip at times.
Interestingly, people who struggle with excessive facial sweating aren’t even exposed to factors such as exercise, heat, or spicy food. If you’re suffering from this condition, you’ll know that it can be highly uncomfortable and, at times, even embarrassing. In addition to feeling hot and sweaty, all that dampness can also irritate your skin (2).
What Causes Excessive Facial Sweating?
Typically, sweating occurs when the brain sends across signals to the sweat glands through the sympathetic nerves. The sympathetic nervous system is mainly responsible for controlling several bodily functions, and sweating is one of them. For example, every time the temperature of your body increases, the brain sends a signal to the sweat glands through the sympathetic nerves. When the sweat glands receive this signal, it initiates the process of sweating. In some cases, sweating can also occur due to certain conditions such as anxiety or stress.
In the case of excessive facial sweating, the exact causes are unknown. However, it has been observed that in hyperhidrosis, the brain sends signals to the eccrine sweat glands instead of the apocrine sweat glands. As a result, the eccrine sweat glands produce water, while the apocrine gland is oil-producing. Furthermore, genetics is believed to play a role in hyperhidrosis as well. Therefore, in addition to the above, excessive sweating in the face may be caused due to (3):
- Diabetes
- Certain infections
- Postpartum
- Menopause
- Gout
- Obesity
- Tumors
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Excess alcohol consumption
- Frostbite
- Head injury
What Are The Types Of Facial Sweating?
Although it may seem like hyperhidrosis is a general term used for excessive facial sweating, there are two types of hyperhidrosis, namely primary hyperhidrosis and secondary hyperhidrosis.
Most often, people find themselves struggling with primary hyperhidrosis. In this case, excessive sweating has no normal causes, such as physical exertion, increased temperature, or an underlying medical condition. Instead, it is a medical condition in itself. Although we’re talking about excessive sweating in the face, primary hyperhidrosis can occur in different parts of the body as well (4).
Secondary hyperhidrosis, on the other hand, is usually caused due to an underlying medical condition. It is essentially a symptom of another disorder. For example, people suffering from heart disease can suffer from excess sweating. It can also be a side effect of certain medications, such as antidepressants (5).
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What Can Trigger Facial Sweating?
Although we did mention that hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating in the face can occur even if you’re not exercising, you still have to watch out for a few triggers. These triggers include (6):
- Hot climatic conditions
- Excess humidity
- Strenuous exercise or even moderate to mild activity
- Spicy foods
- Anger and frustration
- Nervousness
How To Reduce Excessive Face Sweating Naturally?
Excessive sweating in the face can be uncomfortable, embarrassing, and highly inconvenient. However, with the help of a few home remedies, you can experience some respite. So, without further ado, let’s get started (7):
1. Be Mindful Of What You Eat
Evaluating and keeping a tab on your diet is an integral part of your life. Sometimes, food can be the causal factor behind several medical conditions, and the same can be said for excessive sweating of your face. When you have processed, spicy foods or high salt and sugar content, your body will take more time and effort to digest them. As a side effect of slow digestion or indigestion, the body produces more sweat than usual.
There is also something called the thermic effect. When your body digests foods high in protein, carbohydrates, and sugar, a thermic effect takes place, wherein the rate of metabolism increases, and the body uses more energy for the same. All of this can increase the temperature of your body. When there is an increase in your body temperature, sweat is produced naturally to cool your body down. Make sure you watch your intake of alcohol and other beverages, particularly caffeinated drinks. All of these can play a role in increasing the levels of heat in your body, which in turn can cause you to sweat.
2. Keep Yourself Hydrated
Asking you to drink enough water to keep your body hydrated to stop excessive sweating may seem counterintuitive, but you’ll be surprised that it actually works. A lot of people know that when the body temperature rises, you start to sweat. But what a lot of people do not know is that dehydration can cause excessive sweating as well. In addition to preventing excessive sweating, drinking ample water can also help with your digestion.
Indigestion can cause sweating, so with the help of water, the digestive process is positively impacted, thereby preventing you from excessively sweating.
3. Manage Stress And Anxiety
Most of us don’t know this, but our state of mind can considerably impact our physical condition. Sometimes, stress and anxiety can manifest themselves into physical illnesses. We can see this when we experience an increase in the heart rate or a sudden spike in body temperature. Similarly, stress and anxiety can cause excessive sweating as well. The solution is to manage your anxiety and stress levels. You can do this by practicing certain things that have a relaxing effect, such as meditation and yoga. In addition, exercise is known to relieve stress, so incorporate a good workout routine as a part of your day.
4. Natural Astringents
An astringent essentially helps shrink or constrict the tissues present in your body. You could use a few natural astringents that are recommended for your face to treat this condition. For example, witch hazel is an excellent source of a natural astringent. They can also provide relief by drying up the areas where you excessively sweat. Natural astringents can also constrict the size of your pores, thereby reducing the secretion of sweat. In addition to this, certain natural astringents like witch hazel can reduce any odor caused by sweat.
5. Natural Topical Applications
You can make use of some easily available natural ingredients to treat your sweating. Black tea, cucumber juice, and sage tea are a few remedies that can help when you topically apply them. In addition, certain teas, such as the ones we mentioned, contain what is known as tannic acid. This acid, just like astringents, can help dry up the areas where you sweat and also constrict the pores and skin. To topically apply the tea, first steep it in hot water. After it has cooled down, dip a clean ball of cotton and gently apply it to your face.
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6. Use Cucumber
You can place cucumber slices on your face for a few minutes. Another way that you can apply cucumber to your face is by making a juice or a paste out of it and then applying it. Cucumber has a cooling effect which you will love, and it can help reduce sweating as well. It can also help to tighten the pores on your skin.
Excessive sweating is not the most pleasant thing to experience, but there are plenty of solutions on the flip side! It is essential to be mindful about your activities and the food you eat, what you drink, and if you’re incorporating enough physical activity. A healthy lifestyle combined with the above natural remedies can help reduce excessive sweating on your face. Although it is not a cause for concern, it is best to consult your doctor to rule out any possible underlying health condition.
Useful Tips To Reduce Facial Sweating
Find below a few additional tips to get rid of excessive facial sweating:
- First, skip all those sweat-triggering factors, including hot beverages, spicy food, too much sun exposure, alcohol, caffeine, etc., as much as possible.
- Hydrate yourself sufficiently by consuming lots of plain water, fruits and vegetable juices, cold tea, coconut water, etc., so that your body gets detoxified and a normal body temperature is maintained.
- Eat magnesium-rich food like potato, banana, broccoli, legumes, nuts, apple, avocado, etc.
- Massage your face with a muslin-wrapped ice cube twice or thrice every day.
- Do not use heavy skincare or makeup products, especially in summers.
- Use talcum powder to absorb facial sweat and keep your face fresh enough.
- Keep a clinical-strength facial wipe handy.
References:
- “Craniofacial hyperhidrosis: Clinical characteristics and response to treatment in a cohort of 97 patients treated with oral oxybutynin” – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- “What to know about excessive face and head sweating” – medicalnewstoday.com
- “Hyperhidrosis—Causes and Treatment of Enhanced Sweating” – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- “Hyperhidrosis” – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- “Excessive Sweating Caused by Antidepressants: Measurement and Treatment With Glycopyrrolate (AIDES-G) (AIDES-G)” – clinicaltrials.gov
- “Hyperhidrosis” – mayoclinic.org
- “Hyperhidrosis” -hopkinsmedicine.org
