A Guide to Dealing with the Embarrassment of Sweaty Hands

A Guide to Dealing with the Embarrassment of Sweaty Hands

Sweaty hands aren’t just something that causes embarrassment; it’s also an actual medical condition called palmar hyperhidrosis. For people suffering from this issue, there can be a lot of stress as they look for ways to cope with their sweaty hands and not let it break down their self-confidence.

Our hands are a part of our bodies that are almost always on display, so it’s not uncommon for people to develop hang ups about the way their hands look. A friend of mine recently had to visit a team of New York City hand surgeons after she badly injured her wrist after a nasty fall. Fortunately, the skilled doctors were able to repair the damage.

She was so worried that people were going to stare at her scarring and felt incredibly self conscious, but thanks to the minimally invasive nature of the procedure she’s already feeling more confident.

Hand anecdotes aside, if you happen to be the one suffering from sweaty hands, there’s a good chance your sweaty hands have influenced the activities you take part in, how you act at social events, and the decisions you make. Well that doesn’t have to be the case, as there are a number of ways that you can deal with sweaty hands as we will discuss.

Make Sure You Drink Enough

While you may think that giving your body more hydration would create more sweat, the opposite is true. Proper hydration means your body can find its ideal core body temperature and balance it out. Once it is balanced, it creates less sweat.

Give Powders a Try

Another tip is to give powder a try. If you just have mild sweaty hands, then you can probably use corn starch, talc, or baking soda with success. If, however, your hands are extremely sweaty, you’ll want to look for a powder that also has an astringent in it, as discussed on recoveryourhealthtoday.com.

Be Mindful of What You Eat

We’ve all heard the saying that you “are what you eat” and this holds true for those suffering from sweaty hands. There are certain foods that act as triggers to create excessive sweat. These tend to be spicy foods, alcohol, and caffeine. A good idea is to try the elimination technique. What this means is you take all the items out of your diet, then slowly you re-introduce one at a time to see if it produces a reaction. You may be able to handle the items in moderation.

Antiperspirant for Your Hands

Sure, it may sound strange to put antiperspirant on your hands, but the fact is that for many people this ends up being a great solution. Start with a mild antiperspirant, ideally that doesn’t have a scent, so it won’t be detected. You can always start with applying it at night-time and seeing what your reaction is and if it makes a difference. If it works, you can then try it in the morning.

At-Home Remedies

There are also a number of at-home remedies that you can try. Sage has been shown to be an effective antioxidant and astringent, which can make it effective in fighting sweating hands. Soaking your hands in black tea can also provide results since it works to draw out the moisture in your hands and then shrink your sweat glands. Witch hazel works much the same way.

A Trial and Error Process

There’s a good chance there will be a trial and error process you’ll need to go through in order to find the best solution for you. The good news is that there are a number of different techniques and steps that you can take that will help control the amount of sweat your hands produce.