Chad Riley for Healthy Hairdresser
Chad Riley for Healthy Hairdresser

Why do some people sweat more than others? You may think that’s determined solely by genetics, but research indicates two additional factors contribute to your propensity for sweating:

  1. Where you were a baby. A warmer climate activates more sweat glands and your sweat glands mature by age two, so if you spent your first two years in a warmer climate you probably sweat more than you would have if you’d grown up in a colder climate.
  2. How much air-conditioning you use. Spending most of your time in highly air-conditioned space can prevent you from acclimating to warmer temperatures, so when you go outside you’ll sweat more.

You actually start sweating before you even feel hot, because the purpose of sweating is to keep your body temperature regulated. “Sweating helps to cool us down in the heat or when exercising,” says Dr. Kimberley Dilley, a pediatrician at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn, Illinois. “Instead of reaching for an ice pack for an instant way to cool down, drink plenty of cold fluids throughout the day to stay hydrated.”

 

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