6 Common Myths About Excessive Underarm Sweating (a.k.a. Hyperhidrosis)
Everyone sweats, but sometimes people sweat more than normal… as in 4-5 times more than normal. Excessive underarm sweating isn’t just a nuisance. It’s a real problem that can impact every facet of your life from your relationships to your self-esteem to your work performance. If you have hyperhidrosis, you know there are misconceptions. But most of them don’t have any truth to them.
Myth #1: People who have too much underarm sweat are not clean.
Hyperhidrosis has nothing to do with cleanliness. It actually means the person’s body is trying to regulate their body temperature.
If someone has excessive underarm sweat, it probably means the opposite. People with hyperhidrosis are usually very clean because they feel the need to shower several times a day and wash their clothes often.
Myth #2: You can’t treat hyperhidrosis underarm sweat.
You can definitely treat excessive underarm sweat! miraDry® is one of the best ways to do so. Essentially, miraDry® is a non-invasive solution that will disable the sweat glands in your armpits.
It works by using heat-based energy to target and destroy those sweat glands. And they will be gone for good! The simple procedure only takes a few minutes and has little to no down-time. Most patients are able to go back to work that same day.
Myth #3: Deodorant will help underarm sweat.
Deodorant actually doesn’t stop sweating. It just masks body odor. Antiperspirant might help because it’s designed to block sweat. But typically, even prescription strength isn’t strong enough to make a big difference for those with hyperhidrosis.
Plus, hyperhidrosis doesn’t just pertain to underarm sweat. It also includes excessive sweating from the hands and feet as well.
Myth #4: Wearing lightweight clothes will help.
Again, no matter how physically active a person is or the temperature of the environment, sweating will still occur in someone with hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis doesn’t stem from an environmental issue, but rather an issue in the body.
Myth #5: Underarm sweat indicates a nervous person.
Of course, anxiety can exacerbate sweating in a person who doesn’t have hyperhidrosis. But if someone has excessive underarm sweat, it happens at any time and it’s not about how the person is feeling. There’s really no controlling it, but you can treat it.
Myth #6: Hyperhidrosis will eventually go away on its own.
Hyperhidrosis is not something that will decrease with time or age. It’s just about how the body regulates temperature.
