Easy ways to stay dry: I can't stop sweating through my clothes. What can help?… And more of your questions answered here

Shape, May, 2004 by Kate Williams

Q No matter what antiperspirant I use, I still sweat through my clothes. It's so embarrassing. What can I do about it?

A One problem could be the product you're using. Check the label; you'd be surprised at how many people think they're using an antiperspirant/deodorant, a product to help stop you from sweating, but are actually using only a deodorant, a product that only helps prevent odor--not control wetness. It's an easy mistake to make when you're scanning the store shelves--particularly if you're in a rush. (Check out a selection of our editors' favorites of both types of products on the next page.) Also, try these three tips to help reduce excessive sweating:

* Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. If you sweat through your clothes, it will be less visible on light colors, and a loose fit will allow air to circulate next to your skin.

* Don't wear silk or artificial fibers (like nylon and polyester) next to your skin. These can cling to skin and restrict airflow. Instead, wear cotton. In fact, natural cotton perspiration shields can be worn under clothing to provide an extra layer of protection; check out several options (including shields that can be worn with sleeveless clothing and ones that are disposable or washable) at comfywear.com.

* Look for an antiperspirant with aluminum chloride. This is the active ingredient in most antiperspirants that works by blocking the pores to prevent sweat from escaping. While you may have heard rumors about aluminum chloride being linked to diseases such as breast cancer, it has never been proven to increase any health risks, says Jim Garza, M.D., founder of The Hyperhidrosis Center in Houston.

If your excessive sweating is consistent, and it happens regardless of your activity level, the temperature or the product you're using, talk to your doctor. It's possible that you could have hyperhidrosis, a condition that affects about 8 million Americans. People with hyperhidrosis suffer from extremely sweaty hands, feet and underarms due to overstimulation of the sweat glands, Garza explains.

If you have do have the condition, your doctor can work with you to investigate treatment options. Drysol, an aluminum-chloride and ethyl-alcohol solution, is available by prescription. It's usually applied at night and washed off in the morning, and should be used until the sweating is under control. Botox, the popular injectable wrinkle remedy, also can be used to control sweating; injected into the skin, it temporarily paralyzes the sweat glands in the treated area. The procedure is done in a doctor's office and needs to be repeated only once or twice yearly--at a cost of about $600-$700 per treatment.

For more information on surgical and other treatment options for excessive sweating, talk to your doctor or visit The Hyperhidrosis Center Web site, handsdry.com.

Q Even though I wash my face every day, I still get a lot of blackheads. What causes them, and what can I do to make them go away?

A Blackheads are typically found on areas of the skin with numerous oil (sebum) glands, such as the nose, forehead and chin. They occur when a pore gets clogged with debris--usually dead skin cells and oil, although residue from heavy skin creams and makeup may also contribute. This debris hardens to form a block, or plug, under which sebum accumulates. Some people are predisposed to blackheads because their dead skin cells do not shed properly, which generally occurs about every 28 days.

Conventional wisdom used to be that blackheads were dark because the oil found in the clogged pore oxidized when exposed to air. Now dermatologists believe that the dark color results from a concentration of melanin pigment in the trapped cells, explains Loretta Pratt, M.D., a dermatologist with the Sally Balin Medical Center in Media, Pa.

Proper cleansing via exfoliation is the first step to clearing up blackheads, but don't scrub too frequently (no more than twice a week), Pratt cautions. Harsh scrubbing can strip the skin of the moisture it needs, causing the oil glands to produce even more oil.

When it comes to ingredients, salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid known for its ability to "unglue" sticky dead skin cells, is found in many blackhead treatment products like Clean & Clear's Blackhead Clearing line, which includes a scrub, cleansing pads and astringent ($5 each), and Neutrogena's new Oil-Free Acne Wash 60 Second Mask Scrub ($8; both at drugstores). Benzoyl peroxide also fights blackheads effectively; it has exfoliating properties and kills the bacteria in clogged pores. (Try it in Clearasil Maximum Strength Vanishing Acne Treatment Cream, $5; at drugstores.)

Whatever you do, resist the urge to extract blackheads yourself. "Squeezing pores can force bacteria backward into the skin and cause cysts to form," Pratt says. Squeezing too hard can also cause capillaries to rupture, leaving evidence of broken blood vessels on your face. See a dermatologist to have blackheads extracted, or try removing strips like Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips ($6; at drugstores).