Have you ever been in such an embarrassing situation that it’s simply impossible to tear your hands from your body and not show dark circles under your armpits on your blouse?
According to WHO, from 3 to 15% of the population suffer from hyperhidrosis – increased sweating. This is not just an abundant allocation of sweat – it is a river of fluid flowing through the body not only in hot weather, but also with any excitement. Tons of “Rekson” and “Lady Speed Stick” go on blocking these flows, but are antiperspirants harmless? About this and how to deal with sweating, the correspondent recognized SHE.
Medical antiperspirants well block the sweat glands, but can cause side reactions
On the human body there are 3-4 million sweat glands, of which 3/4 give off a clear odorless liquid, called sweat, and only one quarter – in the armpits and in the perineum – a sticky secret that does not itself smell, but undergoing bacterial influences, acquires an intense, not always pleasant aroma. Sweat, consisting of 99% of water, is needed not only for the removal of toxins (this is the job of the kidneys), but also for cooling the body, to reduce friction – in the area of the palms, feet and the same underarms.
In addition to water in the sweat, 1% of various chemical compounds are contained, and it is with this percentage that people have the main problem – the smell.
Why does the smell appear?
“The smell occurs when the protein that is contained in the sweat dissolves on the surface of the skin and changes depending on the composition of the sweat, the presence of microflora on the surface of the skin, the intensity of sweating,” explains Irina Sergeeva, a dermatovenerologist at Zdravica Center. How to avoid – shaving and elementary washing. Ideally, wash with warm water and soap immediately as soon as sweat or at least two or three times a day. Do not forget that we are what we eat: “The smell of sweat indirectly depends on what we eat,” says the dermatologist-cosmetologist of the Milady salon, Jan Stepanova. “For example, seasoning, garlic will make itself felt not only by the smell from the mouth, but also affect the fragrance of the body. ”
But the fact is that not all the schedule allows you to take baths as much as you would like, – for this, more than 80 years ago, antiperspirant deodorant was introduced into our life.
Than we smear?
The main difference between antiperspirant and simply deodorant is in the content of hexahydrate aluminochloride. Earlier in Europe, the analogue of the current stick was sold in pharmacies in the form of a liquid talker. In some pharmacies, for example, in the Melody of Health, you can buy a “Fresh Crystal” – the so-called “alum”, which are of a natural nature, act in the same way as cosmetic products, but do not have a veil of perfume.
As then, and now the antiperspirant does not regulate the work of the sweat glands, it just blocks them:
“When applying this chemical compound to the skin, the flow of the sweat glands and the binding of the excreting perspiration narrow down,” explains Irina Sergeeva. How safe is the use of antiperspirants? After all, it would seem, a violation of the natural course of things, that is, sweat from the sweat glands, should cause some disturbances in the body? According to most experts, with the secretion of sweat when blocking the axillary secretions that secrete a secret, the glands are perfectly handled by others that are not odoriferous: “Even with daily use, with normal activity there is no danger,” Irina Sergeeva, the dermatovenereologist, calms, but warns:
– However, athletes and during training, when sweating contributes to the normalization of thermoregulation, it is not recommended to use antiperspirants. In addition, the development of an allergic reaction is possible on aluminum. ”
In modern perfumery-cosmetic antiperspirants, the concentration of active substance – aluminochloride hexahydrate – 3-6%, in medical preparations, such as “Maxim” or “Odoban” – reaches 15-30%. The latter are not recommended for use by people with usual perspiration. Such powerful tools are needed only for people suffering from hyperhidrosis, have many side effects and are used after consultation with a doctor.
Radical methods
“People suffering from hyperhidrosis can not wear light or colored clothes, they have to mask wet spots in black,” says Elena Rozhkova, director of the Elena clinic, about the hard share of sweating people. “Men who have palmar hyperhidrosis experience problems with business handshakes. ” Hyperhidrosis (translated from Latin – “too watery”) – a problem in which conventional antiperspirants do not help – aluminum plugs simply sweep away sweat streams.
In such cases it is recommended to use the above-mentioned medical antiperspirants or to resort to more serious methods of treatment. For example, the introduction of botulinum toxin in areas of increased sweating. “This procedure reduces sweating by 70%, it is not dangerous to health, it is carried out for 30 minutes, the effect persists for up to a year,” explains the essence of the procedure Elena Rozhkova. The only problem is that it is quite expensive – about 15 thousand rubles. Medical antiperspirant “Maxim” costs about a thousand rubles, in Novosibirsk it is not for sale, but it can be ordered on specialized sites, for example hyperhidrosis.ru.
Before blocking the streams, experts strongly recommend checking the body – hyperhidrosis can not arise for nothing. “The causes of increased sweating can be both heredity and endocrine disorders, changes in the autonomic nervous system,” explains Irina Sergeeva, a dermatovenerologist at the Zdravitsa center.
“Problems with the smell and moisture of the feet can be a sign of a fungal or bacterial infection. ”
Hyperhidrosis itself, unlike the causes that cause it, does not affect the state of health, but the quality of life has a strong negative effect. And the awkwardness of wet spots causes the reaction of the nervous system and even more profuse sweating. So it’s better to take advantage of the tools offered today than to be constantly nervous.
