Sweating between your legs during hot weather and exercise is perfectly normal. It is your body’s way of cooling off when it gets too hot. But when crotch sweat becomes excessive or unprovoked, it can start causing problems in your everyday life.
Emotionally, uncontrolled groin sweat may lead to feelings of embarrassment and self-consciousness. Physically, it can be extremely uncomfortable and cause other problems like odor and chafing. Keep reading as we take a closer look at the crotch sweat, its potential causes, and ways to stop it.
In general, the groin area is always moist. It doesn’t see a lot of daylight, nor does it receive much circulation. Like the armpits, the groin has a lot of sweat glands and hair follicles packed together in close quarters. As a result, it tends to be sweaty and warm, especially when it is hot outside or during physical exertion.
Groin sweat only becomes a problem when it is uncontrollable or unprovoked. Excessive groin sweat can interfere with your daily life, and more importantly, it may be a sign of an underlying health condition. If you experience persistent sweating accompanied by itching, irritation, chafing, and/or odor around your crotch, you should talk to your doctor.
In general, men tend to sweat more than women. This applies to the groin area as well. Sometimes, excessive groin sweat in men may be caused by something as simple as underwear that is too tight or that is not made from breathable fabric. Sometimes crotch sweat is caused by poor hygiene.
There are also certain medical conditions that can cause groin sweat in men.
While men sweat more, a women’s vaginal area contains a large number of apocrine glands. These glands can cause vaginal sweating, which can also lead to odor between the legs.
The use of feminine products, like pads and liners, may be the culprit of crotch sweat in some women. These types of products are typically not made from breathable materials, which means there is no airflow in the area. As a result, regular use of pads and panty liners can increase the temperature in the groin, which can lead to vaginal sweating.
Like the armpits, the groin has a lot of sweat glands and hair follicles packed together in close quarters.
As with men, your choice of underwear or personal hygiene routine can also cause excessive sweating in the groin area. There are also certain medical conditions that can cause crotch sweat in women.
The first step in learning how to manage your groin sweat is to make a few simple lifestyle changes. If it still continues, you may want to talk to your doctor about medical treatments available for your specific symptoms.
Perhaps the easiest way to start managing your crotch sweat is to look at the type of underwear and clothing you wear. Synthetic fabrics that do not breathe or allow for ventilation only make matters worse by trapping moisture and odor. As such, swap out garments made from synthetic fabric with those made from natural, breathable fabrics like cotton, wool, and linen.
It is also important to consider how your clothes fit. Tight-fitting garments like leggings, yoga pants, bike shorts, and skinny jeans tend to increase the temperature in the groin area, causing you to sweat. Instead, switch to joggers and relaxed fit pants that allow more room for movement, increase air circulation and cause less friction.
Using proper personal hygiene is another important step to stopping groin sweat. Start by bathing two times daily. If your schedule doesn’t permit a second shower, use body wipes to freshen up. For women who want to treat vaginal sweating, it is best to avoid antibacterial or alcohol-based wipes to avoid killing the good bacteria in your vaginal area. Most body wipes come in travel size packets so they are easy to carry around.
You may also want to trim the hair in your groin area. Although pubic hair exists for a reason, too much of it can trap unwanted bacteria, causing an unpleasant odor. Make sure to use trimmers or grooming scissors made specifically for pubic hair.
When trying to stop groin sweat, take time to assess your diet. The foods you eat can be a factor in how much sweat your body produces. Caffeine, junk food, soda drinks, alcohol, and spicy foods can cause your body to heat up, triggering excessive sweating even in the groin area.
In addition to avoiding certain foods that cause sweating, include more fruits, vegetables, and other foods that are rich in fiber. Almonds, potatoes, salmon, and low fat milk are examples of food that reduce sweating. They are easier to digest and will not overwork your body. Drinking more water also keeps our bodies hydrated and cool.
Applying cornstarch around your groin area can help control extra moisture and odor. Unlike powders, cornstarch is completely natural and does not contain talc or other chemicals that might be harmful to your body.
In general, the most common treatment for excessive sweating is clinical strength antiperspirant. But this begs the question, “Can you put deodorant between your legs?” While there is a technical difference between antiperspirant and deodorant, the terms are often used interchangeably. Deodorants are used to mask or neutralize body odor, whereas antiperspirants are designed to stop sweat. Clinical strength antiperspirants, the strongest you can buy without a prescription, are made with aluminum chloride to block or clog the sweat glands.
When using antiperspirants to stop groin sweat, it is important to choose the right product. The skin on the groin area is very sensitive and may easily get irritated. Be sure to test the product on a small area of your skin before using it. Or you can talk to your doctor for product recommendations. And ladies, be sure to only apply to the outer area of your groin and never directly on your lady parts.
If you are still experiencing excessive groin or vaginal sweating, you may want to talk to your doctor about your symptoms. As mentioned earlier, excessive sweating may be an indication of an underlying medical condition.
Your doctor may determine to treat your sweat symptoms specifically. As such, there are a couple of medical treatments used to manage hyperhidrosis in the groin area. The most common treatments are oral anticholinergics and Botox injections.
Anticholinergics, like Glycopyrrolate, are oral medications that interrupt the nervous system from naturally communicating with the sweat glands and therefore, prevent sweat production. This type of medication makes the sweat glands inactive.
Botox is an effective treatment for hyperhidrosis. After being injected under the skin, Botox works to calm the activity of hyperactive sweat glands; reducing sweat production and stopping excessive groin sweating. The effect is only temporary so repeat treatments may be necessary.
While excessive groin sweat can be embarrassing, there are ways to manage it with lifestyle changes and maybe a visit to your doctor. If you also struggle with butt sweat, try out Ejis sweat proof boxer briefs (buy in our shop or on Amazon). They are made from natural and soft micro modal fabric with ultra thin sweat protection in the butt, back of the legs and crotch to keep your pants dry. The fabric is also fused with real silver to fight odor causing bacteria.
Every day, guys all over the world deal with a common problem: bad body odor. It happens when sweat mixes with bacteria. It can become pretty uncomfortable. But don't worry, you don't have to put up with it. In this article, we check out some of the best underwear for odor control. So, keep reading to learn how to stay odor-free and avoid any embarrassing moments.