By michael - March, 2nd 2014

Sweating is a signal during exercise that the warm-up phase is over and you are entering the performance zone. Once you are in the performance zone, sweat regulates your body temperature and signals your body’s ability to hydrate. Sweat is good for the skin. Water hydrates, minerals and salt naturally exfoliate, and urea and uric acid combat dry skin and dermatitis. Sweating purges the skin of bacteria, dirt, oils and impurities. The optimal pH factor for the skin is the same as the pH factor of sweat.

Excessive sweating can be embarrassing and uncomfortable, but it could be more than just the weather that's causing you to perspire.

We received this question from a viewer:

Dear Dr. Manny,
I'm a 34-year-old man and I sweat more than normal all the time – even when it's not hot outside. It's really embarrassing and deodorant just doesn't seem to work. Is there anything I can do?
Thanks,
Nick

Well Nick, you're not alone. The condition is called hyperhidrosis and it affects more people than you know. But don't worry, there are several effective treatments including:

• Over-the-counter antiperspirants that contain aluminum chloride;
• Oral and topical medications;
• Ionophoresis, which is a procedure that delivers a low current of electricity to the sweaty areas while a patient is immersed in water;
• Botox injections to paralyze the sweat glands;
• And in severe cases, even surgery to remove sweat glands.

But make sure you talk to your doctor because he or she can help you determine …

The impurities that sweating helps flush out can stay on your skin. When the skin begins to re-absorb them, pH factors change and can lead to irritation and rash. The sweat expelled through the apocrine glands in the skin is responsible for that familiar post-workout body odor.

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