I have had sweaty palms my whole life. I am curious if anyone has heard of a theory where the palms sweat more due to applying an antiperspirant to the underarms. This goes along with the compensatory sweating idea where your underarms cannot sweat, so the palms and hand sweat extra. Does anyone think this is a possibility? Has anybody tried switching to a deodorant w/out antiperspirant and experienced dryer hands? Because I would choose sweaty armpits to hands anyday, as I'm sure most of you would agree.
Sweaty Palms Theory
- Thread starter Dave305
- Start date
seekinghelp
Active member
Here are my thoughts; it's elementary and by no means scientifically based but why not start discussion...
With HH, the body is sending continuous, pronounced signals to sweat from the armpits, hands, feet, crotch, torso... So, when you block a location from sweating, for example with armpit antiperspirant, the body is still sending a continuous signal but can no longer sweat from the armpit. In order to maintain this continuity, the sweat intensifies in other locations; say your hands.
I think the analogy of a shower head applies here. If you turn the handle to a specific setting, let's say full blast, there is a specific flow rate output from the shower head. If you adjust the shower head to make the holes smaller but keep the full blast setting, the water comes out faster. BUT the same amount of water is coming out to maintain continuity.
I also think if you keep the same setting and plug a few holes of the shower head (armpit antiperspirant), then the water flowing through the other holes (your hands) will flow faster but the same amount of water is coming out to maintain continuity.
-- Isn't this what ETS does in regards to compensatory sweating? You cutoff the wiring to sweat from a specific location, but the body is still sending the same continuous, pronounced signal; it just can't make it through a cut/clamped line. To maintain continuity, existing lines (other sweat locations) pick up these signals and thus you get more sweating in locations that did not sweat as intensely prior to surgery. I think ETS is great in pinpointing signal routes of sweating, but to turn off the actual signal -- who knows. Maybe that is the next research frontier for dermatologists. I don't know.
But this is just a silly example. Throw in stress (being interviewed) and weather (interview outside in 100 degree weather) and the complexity goes crazy. I am curious to hear what others think.
With HH, the body is sending continuous, pronounced signals to sweat from the armpits, hands, feet, crotch, torso... So, when you block a location from sweating, for example with armpit antiperspirant, the body is still sending a continuous signal but can no longer sweat from the armpit. In order to maintain this continuity, the sweat intensifies in other locations; say your hands.
I think the analogy of a shower head applies here. If you turn the handle to a specific setting, let's say full blast, there is a specific flow rate output from the shower head. If you adjust the shower head to make the holes smaller but keep the full blast setting, the water comes out faster. BUT the same amount of water is coming out to maintain continuity.
I also think if you keep the same setting and plug a few holes of the shower head (armpit antiperspirant), then the water flowing through the other holes (your hands) will flow faster but the same amount of water is coming out to maintain continuity.
-- Isn't this what ETS does in regards to compensatory sweating? You cutoff the wiring to sweat from a specific location, but the body is still sending the same continuous, pronounced signal; it just can't make it through a cut/clamped line. To maintain continuity, existing lines (other sweat locations) pick up these signals and thus you get more sweating in locations that did not sweat as intensely prior to surgery. I think ETS is great in pinpointing signal routes of sweating, but to turn off the actual signal -- who knows. Maybe that is the next research frontier for dermatologists. I don't know.
But this is just a silly example. Throw in stress (being interviewed) and weather (interview outside in 100 degree weather) and the complexity goes crazy. I am curious to hear what others think.
Little Fern
Member
Rather counter-intuitively to the theory you described, it has been my personal experience that if one area sweats, it sets the others off too. I sweat primarily from the palms and soles of feet. If I don't wear antiperspirant, usually my hands will be sweating non-stop. Feet too. Or of my feet sweat, usually because I am not wearing cotton socks, my hands will start up as well.
Going Insane
Well-known member
Hey, it could be worse.... you could have had hairy palms....
seekinghelp
Active member
Do you guys experience behind the knee sweating too?
Little Fern
Member
I don't really notice what I'd call sweating behind my knees, personally.