Is sweating good? It’s a very controversial topic; some say it removes all toxins from your body, some say ew! It’s gross. Sweating is something familiar that is a part of everyone’s life. And no matter how much we despise it, sweating is essential for our body. In different situations, we experience low to severe sweating. But to get your answer, you need to go through this article. So, let’s find out if sweating is terrible for your skin?
Why Do We Sweat?
Most of you might know about this; sweating is a body function that maintains and controls the body temperature. Due to exercise, humid weather, spicy food etc., your body needs more energy than usual to cool down. Thus it came out as sweat.
Sweat is mainly made of water and comes from our sweat glands in different situations. There are two types of sweat glands available in our bodies.
Eccrine glands: This sweat gland is situated at our skin’s surface, covering our entire body. The sweat in this gland is not only water; it combines with salt, protein, ammonia and urea, that’s why it tastes salty. Now don’t hide it; you even know the taste.
Apocrine gland: The sweats that smell worst come from this sweat gland. This sweat gland is built in our underarms and groin area. And as hair follicles surround these sweat glands, it creates a disgusting odour.
What Are The Disadvantages of Sweating?
You are going out somewhere, and you start sweating; it creates a very clumsy situation. When someone sweats excessively more than usual, it is known as hyperhidrosis. But there are many other reasons for sweating, which we will learn later in this article. There are a few disadvantages due to medium to excessive sweating that you may or may not experience.
- Skin Irritation: When you stay under the sun for too long and sweat so much, you’ll notice your skin starts feeling itchy. If the sweat sits on your skin or face for too long, it can make your skin feel irritated. And even cause some redness. The ammonia and urea in your sweat are the reason for that. Also, the sodium in your sweat can cause dehydration on your skin.
- Skin Breakout: Generally, sweat doesn’t directly cause pimples or acne. But it plays a role in it. When your skin experiences excessive sweating without proper care, it can block your pores. Due to humid weather, physical health issues or workouts, you sweat a lot. And you have to always wash your face and body with soap or exfoliators to keep your skin clear from any dirt and impurities. Without it, the sebum of your face keeps occurring on the surface of your skin and makes it oily. And which leads to acne.
- Odour: Another most unlikeable disadvantage of sweating is its odour. The actual smell is odourless. When it merges with the bacteria on your skin, it reacts and creates a foul odour.
- Dehydration: carrying a bottle of water every time, wherever you go, is impossible. Due to hyperhidrosis, your body gets dehydrated when you sweat too much. As the water and minerals get out of your body, your body won’t get sufficient moisture. Hence, cause dizziness, vomit etc.
What Are The Benefits of Sweating?
No matter how hard you try, avoiding sweating is next to impossible. But there are more advantages to sweating than disadvantages. Sweating is not only good for your skin but also good for your health. So let’s look into it.
- Bye-Bye Toxins: Sweat takes out the toxins from our skin. It may not be much, but sometimes less is more. And because of it, you get healthy skin.
- Clear Pores: this is a very beneficial feature of sweating. It flushes out the oil and impurities from your skin. It works like an exfoliator that removes the dirt and allows your skin to breathe properly.
- No Pimples: As sweat clears out all the clogged pores of your skin. And the sebum gets no chance to stick to your face. Your skin feels fresh, and oxygen can quickly get into it. Thus you won’t witness any pimples again.
- Brighter Skin: When you sweat, it washes out the deeply hidden impurities from your skin. And as it can breathe properly, it improves the clarity and texture of your skin. Also, it increases blood circulation throughout your skin.
- Relieve Stress: When you stress too much or feel anxious about something, you can feel sweat coming from your forehead. And that happens when your stress hormones get out of control. By sweating, your body cools down and reduces stress.
- Mood Enhancer: Sweating caused by any activity releases endorphins; it’s a hormone that is also known as the happy hormone. It gives you a positive vibe about things you are focusing on. And while exercising, it works like a natural painkiller and minimizes the discomfort.
- Heal: Not only that, sweat helps your skin to heal your wounds faster. According to researchers, sweat contains stem cells which play a huge role in healing your wounds. So next time, don’t use your wounds as excuses to avoid workouts.
- Prevent Illness: We all know that sweating is the age-old method of preventing and reducing any chance of cold or fever. It takes out all the germs and viruses from your body. And after a nice bath, you are back to your illness-free lifestyle.
What Are The Reasons for Sweating and Excessive Sweating?
First, we will talk about the common reasons for sweating, and then we will learn what leads to hyperhidrosis.
Hot Weather
Weather plays a vital role in this case. People often work outside or in the field, which increases their internal body temperature. And when your body feels the need to cool down, your body starts sweating through the eccrine glands.
Eating Spicy Food
Everyone loves eating spicy and tasty foods. But the spice in your won’t let your brain understand the message straight. It will convince your brain about higher body temperature that triggers sweat production.
Physical Exercise
It’s a common cause of sweating; when we work out, our body temperature increases as it burns calories.
Anxiety
When someone is nervous or stressed, they tend to sweat more as their heart beats faster and they need to calm down.
Alcohol
Everyone loves parties, and alcohol is a big part of it. But you should stay within your limits. Drinking too much alcohol miscommunicates the messages with your brain. And it will make you sweat at a party.
Fever
Fever happens when the temperature of your body increases. The sweat helps your body cool down and eliminates fever or cold.
Generic
It is a frequent cause of hyperhidrosis. If it runs into your family, It starts occurring from your childhood. And you’ll experience sweating on your palms, underarms, face, feet, and head for the rest of your life unless you take professional guidelines.
Diabetes
Diabetes messes with your blood sugar level. You will experience excessive sweating and dizziness when your blood sugar level suddenly drops. Also, it damages your nervous system.
Thyroid
The overactivity of your thyroid gland can imbalance your hormones and increase your body’s internal temperature. It increases the metabolism level, and you’ll lose more weight.
Side Effect Medication
Not all medicines suit our body; even if they work, they can show side effects, such as antidepressants, blood pressure medications, etc. To avoid this problem, the first thing you should do is to consult your doctor.
What Should You Do if You Sweat?
- Drink a lot of water. The key to perfect health is to stay hydrated. You should drink at least 3-5 litres of water every day. It will keep the toxins out of your body and your skin and body healthy.
- Take a bath after returning home. Staying all sweaty is not a good thing. When you sweat, the dirt and pollution of the environment are stuck to your skin. And washing it with soap will help you get rid of it.
- Wear white clothes. It doesn’t absorb the light and makes you feel hot. And breathable cotton clothes will allow your body to breathe and relax.
- To restore the pH balance of your skin, don’t forget to take antiperspirant.
- Avoid working out in the heat; try to stay in a cool place, or else the unrestrained sweating can make you feel dizzy.
- Avoid junk and spicy food; this balances your metabolism and can increase your body’s temperature.
- Consult your doctor to prevent too much sweating.
- You can try Botox injections as it paralyzes the nerve connection on the injected area of your face, thus stopping sweating.
Last Say:
In the end, you can see that sweating causes no serious harm to your body. Sweating is the other way around. It is beneficial for your skin and body. And when you face problems such as excessive sweating, you can follow these tips. And if any of these are not working, consult your doctor or dermatologist. Avoid harmful products to reduce this issue, and remember to take care of yourself.
