Sweaty palms: what to do
A damp handshake, a slippery steering wheel, marks on paper and on your phone screen: sweaty palms get in the way of small things every day. Here is where this sweat comes from, what helps during the day and how to apply antiperspirant to your hands properly.
Short answer
Palms sweat with nerves and heat, and sometimes almost constantly for no visible reason, which is what happens in primary hyperhidrosis. The first step recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) is an antiperspirant: apply it to completely dry skin before bed, and once sweating eases, once or twice a week is usually enough. During the day, a cotton handkerchief and knowing your triggers help. If sweating gets in the way of study or work, lasts for months or appears suddenly with other symptoms, see a doctor.
Why palms sweat
Palms have a great many sweat glands, and they respond to nerves especially readily. We covered how emotional sweat works in “Sweating when nervous: why the body reacts to stress”.
If your palms are damp almost all the time, even when it is cool and you are calm, it may be primary focal hyperhidrosis. It often starts in childhood or the teenage years and usually affects both hands. More on the signs in “What is hyperhidrosis, and when should you see a doctor?”.
- Nerves: a job interview, an exam, meeting new people, a speech.
- Heat and stuffy rooms.
- Caffeine, spicy food and alcohol: the AAD lists them as common sweat triggers.
What helps during the day
Everyday tricks do not reduce the amount of sweat, but they help you keep things under control.
- Carry a cotton handkerchief or paper tissues and blot your palms before a handshake, writing or handling documents.
- Before something important, wash your hands in cool water and dry them thoroughly.
- Keep a diary: the AAD advises noting when sweating starts and what came before it. This makes it easier to spot your triggers and prepare for them.
- Drink enough water: the AAD specifically mentions staying hydrated, and cutting back on water does not make palms drier.
- If you wear gloves for work, keep a spare pair and change them when they get damp.
Antiperspirant for palms: how to apply it
The AAD names antiperspirant as the first treatment for sweaty palms and feet. It advises applying it to dry skin before bed and, once sweating eases, continuing as needed, usually once or twice a week. The International Hyperhidrosis Society (IHHS) adds that palms and feet usually need stronger formulas than the underarms, and that the skin must be completely dry.
- In the evening, wash your hands and dry them thoroughly, including between the fingers. Moisture on the skin gets in the way of the product; more in “Why the skin must be completely dry”.
- Apply a thin layer to the palms and the inner side of the fingers. The skin must be intact: no cuts, cracks or irritation.
- Wait until the product is completely dry. While it is on your skin, do not rub your eyes or touch your face.
- In the morning, wash your hands with soap and water.
- Do not use more product in the hope of a stronger effect. If you notice redness, burning or itching, take a break until the skin recovers.
When to see a doctor
The NHS, the UK’s National Health Service, advises seeing a doctor if:
- the things you do yourself are not helping;
- heavy sweating has lasted for at least six months;
- it gets in the way of study, work or everyday activities;
- it happens at least once a week or at night;
- relatives also sweat heavily, or the sweating may be a side effect of a medicine.
What a doctor may offer
Do not put off a visit if heavy sweating appeared suddenly together with weakness, a racing heart, a fever or weight loss: the cause needs to be found by a doctor.
For sweaty palms, a dermatologist may offer iontophoresis (the hands are placed in water through which a weak current passes), botulinum toxin injections or tablets. Nerve surgery, sympathectomy, is considered rarely: the AAD warns of the risk of compensatory sweating, when the body starts sweating more elsewhere. More in “Hyperhidrosis: what treatment options are there?”.
The bottom line: dry palms start in the evening
A handkerchief, water and knowing your triggers help during the day, while the foundation is an evening antiperspirant on completely dry skin.
OKEY suits every area prone to heavy sweating, including the palms. It is a long-lasting, fragrance-free antiperspirant for women and men, in a 35 ml roll-on bottle. Following the instructions, it is applied in a thin layer to clean, completely dry, undamaged skin in the evening before bed, and the residue is washed off in the morning. You can buy OKEY on Kaspi for 7990 ₸, with the option to return the bottle within 14 days. For regular customers it is 6990 ₸ on our site okeystaydry.com, with free delivery to a Flip pickup point and no returns. The buy button is below.
