How to avoid sweating on face: Causes and techniques to control it

Excessive sweating on the face can be an embarrassing and frustrating issue. The glands on your face produce more sweat than other body parts. When these glands become overactive, it can result in facial sweat dripping down your face throughout the day.

Fortunately, you can take steps to control and reduce facial sweating. This article will help you explore the causes and control measures of excess facial sweating.

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How to avoid sweating on the face and its causes

Excessive sweating on the face, also called facial hyperhidrosis, is a common condition in which someone sweats more than necessary on their face. It happens when the sweat glands on the face become overactive and produce too much sweat.

This extra sweating is usually triggered by heat, exercise, anxiety, stress, or the consumption of spicy foods. Excess facial perspiration can be embarrassing and uncomfortable as the sweat drips down the face and neck. It can also lead to skin issues.

Thankfully, various effective treatments, both medical and natural, are available today to control and reduce excessive facial sweating. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle also helps. However, before exploring the methods on how to avoid excessive sweating on the face, it is essential to understand the underlying causes.

Causes of facial sweating

Common sweating on the face causes include the following:

1. Hyperhidrosis

This condition causes excessive sweating all over the body without any trigger. However, areas like the underarms, hands, feet, and face are the more commonly affected. Scientists have highlighted that hyperhidrosis is related to an overactive nervous system.

2. Hormonal changes

Hormonal changes, like declining estrogen levels, can trigger hot flashes, which can lead to excess facial sweating. This excessive perspiration can typically last from 30 seconds to five minutes.

3. Spicy foods

Foods loaded with spices, chillies and other heat-inducing ingredients can temporarily increase facial sweating. This is because these foods raise body temperature.

4. Medications

Consumption of certain medicines like antidepressants, and some antibiotics may have excessive sweating as a side effect. Always check with your doctor if a medicine contributes to facial sweating.

5. Thyroid problems

An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can overstimulate your sweat glands and cause increased facial perspiration. Treating the thyroid condition can help one control excess facial sweating.

6. Stress and anxiety

The sympathetic nervous system can trigger “fight or flight” responses when one feels stressed or anxious. This automatically increases facial sweating along with the heart rate and breathing.

Also read: Hormonal Acne: Causes and Symptoms of hormonal acne

Tips to avoid excess facial sweating

Wondering how to prevent sweat on the face? Here are some tips you can consider to avoid excess facial sweating:

• Avoid spicy, hot, and caffeine-rich foods and drinks that stimulate sweating.

• Stay in an air-conditioned environment whenever possible.

• Use an antiperspirant with aluminium chloride on problem areas.

• Apply an alcohol-free toner containing witch hazel after washing your face. It can help tighten the pores.

• Use fresh wipes to clean facial sweat during the day.

• Try relaxation techniques like deep breathing to reduce anxiety, which can exacerbate sweating.

• Consider taking prescription antiperspirants or other medical treatments.

Managing stress levels and minor lifestyle changes over a sustained time can significantly help minimise facial perspiration.

Sweating on face pros and cons

This section explores the pros and cons of facial sweating. Important pros and cons include the following:

Pros:

• It helps regulate body temperature and cool one down.
• Facilitates removal of toxins and impurities from the skin through sweat
• Exercising and sweating can release feel-good endorphins.

Cons:

• Excessive sweating on the face can cause breakouts and acne on the face. Do not try picking on your acne. To calm the skin, try using The Pink Foundry's Clearing & Calming Acne Face Wash.
• Sweat dripping into the eyes can irritate.
• Salt and minerals in sweat can temporarily clog facial pores.
• Requires one to wash face more frequently to prevent bacteria buildup

Sweating is a healthy body process in moderation. However, excessive or inadequate facial sweating can have downsides. The best approach is to manage it gently with skincare and hydration. The key is balance. Sweating should be enough to reap the desirable benefits but not so much that it causes problems.

How to keep excessive sweating under control

But exactly how to stop sweating so much on the face? If you want to keep excess facial sweating under control, you can try incorporating these effective techniques:

1. Use facial astringents

Facial astringents contain ingredients like witch hazel, alcohol, menthol, and essential oils that can temporarily constrict blood vessels and sweat ducts on the skin. Before you go out, try applying an alcohol-free astringent containing witch hazel using a cotton pad on clean skin. Try reapplying it every few hours as needed.

2. Apply antiperspirants at night

Look for an antiperspirant containing aluminium chloride or aluminium zirconium specifically formulated for the face. Wash your face at night and apply this antiperspirant evenly on dry skin. Let it sit overnight so the active ingredients can sink in and plug sweat ducts. Wash it off in the morning.

3. Wipe face often

Try carrying oil-absorbing facial wipes in your bag. When you feel facial sweat coming on during the day, simply clean your face with a wipe. These wipes can remove excess sweat and oil without smudging the makeup.

4. Stay hydrated

Drink at least eight glasses of water daily to stay hydrated. Dehydration signals your body to conserve water, so it slows down sweat production. Try sipping on cool water as needed on hot days. However, avoid alcohol and hot drinks that can trigger flushing and sweating.

5. Manage stress

Practice stress relaxation techniques like meditation, deep breathing and yoga. This can help one calm the fight-or-flight response mechanism to lower facial sweat triggers. Also, try getting seven to eight hours of sleep in the night to keep anxiety under control.

6. Apply glycopyrrolate cream

Ask your dermatologist about glycopyrrolate cream specifically approved to treat facial sweating. Apply it once or twice daily after washing your face. This prescription cream blocks sweat glands to reduce facial perspiration.

7. Get botox injections

Botox injections contain purified botulinum toxin to temporarily block nerve signals and paralyse sweat glands. Though Botox requires repeated injections every three to six months, it is considered safe and effective for reducing excessive facial sweating when other treatments fail.

8. Dress right

Avoid thick and fuzzy fabrics that can irritate your skin and trigger sweating. Instead, try choosing lightweight and breathable fabrics like cotton and moisture-absorbing performance fabrics. In winter, layer your clothing so you can shed layers as needed to stay comfortable.

9. Lower the room temperature

Since heat triggers sweating, keep your home and office temperatures set to a comfortable level. Switch on fans and air conditioners to increase air circulation and cool the environment.

10. Avoid triggers

Pay attention to foods, environments, activities or products that increase your facial sweating. Keep a diary to identify facial sweat patterns. Then, try to avoid these sweat-inducing triggers whenever possible.

Also read: What Is Skin Hydration & How to Hydrate Skin

Conclusion

Excessive facial sweating can happen due to various reasons. These reasons can range from spicy foods and stress to hyperhidrosis. Luckily, you don’t have to live with a perpetually sweaty face.

Following smart skin care, medications, injections, and lifestyle changes can help stop facial sweat safely in its tracks. Test different remedies to find out what works for your situation. With consistent skincare management, you can say goodbye to dripping facial sweat.