5 Ways to Sweat Less

The oppressive summertime heat can often feel like hell. With the sun, humidity and rising temps, it's difficult to keep your sweating under control. And while it's completely natural to perspire, it's usually uncomfortable and can make you look sloppy. If you find yourself sweating more than you'd like, consider this five point plan to stay dry and cool, no matter how hot it gets out.

Reconsider Your Coffee

There's something comforting about starting your day with a hot cup of coffee. But there are two ways your daily cup can make you drip. Caffeine stimulates the body's central nervous system, which kicks your sweat glands into gear—meaning the more caffeine you drink, the more you end up perspiring. And then the heat from the drink itself can also make your body feel hot enough to start sweating. So consider swapping the standard hot brew for a cold one (and maybe ask for half-caf).

Cut Back on Spicy Foods

"Spices can activate a neurotransmitter in the brain called acetylcholine," says Kelley Redbord, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and Associate Professor at George Washington University, "Anything that stimulates these neurotransmitters can sometimes affect the glands that cause sweating." And capsaicin, the chemical found in spicy peppers, triggers a separate type of nerve ending that responds to mild warmth—like a warm bath or hot car—which leads your body to think it's heating up. That starts up the sweating response to help cool you down.

Use Antiperspirant Wisely

The reason some guys feel antiperspirants don't work is because when it's applied in the morning, when your sweat volume is higher than it is at night, your sweat actually washes off the antiperspirant before it can work. The key is to apply it before bed, in order to give the active ingredient, aluminum chloride, ample time to work its way into the skin and down to your sweat ducts. By the time you wake up, it's fully absorbed and you can rinse off any leftover residue in the shower. Apply regular deodorant and you'll have clean shirts, dry pits and no stink.

Stop Swamp Ass

Go to the Doctor

If switching up your diet, wardrobe and grooming products doesn't help, you should speak with your doctor about a medical solution. Botox—yes, the same familiar face smoother—has been very successful in treating excessive underarm sweat. And results can last up to six months. There is also glycopyrrolate, an oral prescription medication that blocks the nerve impulses to your sweat glands and is typically prescribed to those people with severe, widespread sweating.