Hair and sweat

[PixieP]

Ok this is kind of embarrasing, but I'm at my wits end here, so...

The last 7-8 years I've started to sweat quite a lot, and most of it on my face/neck/chest, and my scalp. It's especially frustrating for my hair; I can rarely wear it loose, because it takes so little for my scalp to start sweating and then my hair gets drenched. It does the same when I have it up; but it looks sleightly less terribly with wet hair in an updo than loose.

It's not just summer heat that sets me off either; it can be colder autumn, but really humid, and that will make me start sweating. Going from the cold outside in winter to a more tepid inside temperature in winter will get me sweating. The slightest bit of physical activity (walking for more than ten minutes at a moderate pace) will make me start sweating. The worst areas are my temples, they get absolutley drenched, and around the hairline from the temples to the neck. Like I said there is no difference wether wearing hair loose or in an updo; so it's not related to length/heaviness/warmness of hair. It would do the same if it was in a bob.

I just don't know what to do about it. I'm guessing it's not good for my hair to get sweaty and then salt sweat dries on it, at least once a day. But I can't wash it every day either. And I have no idea how to stop the sweating! A couple of years ago it was a mild annoyance, but it's getting worse each year now. Now I'll seat so hard the hair in the affected areas will get dripping wet. And there is no stages of sweat; I'm either not sweaty, or drenched. And once it starts, it takes a long time to stop, even if I cool down.

I don't use products on my scalp very often; a little bit of dry shampoo every now and then.

Has anyone here ever experienced something similar? How did you deal with it?

[pailin]

I sweat a lot; that's one reason I wash my hair daily.

Have you ever talked to a doctor about it? Or could it be hormone related?

[lapushka]

I just don't know what to do about it. I'm guessing it's not good for my hair to get sweaty and then salt sweat dries on it, at least once a day. But I can't wash it every day either. And I have no idea how to stop the sweating! A couple of years ago it was a mild annoyance, but it's getting worse each year now. Now I'll seat so hard the hair in the affected areas will get dripping wet. And there is no stages of sweat; I'm either not sweaty, or drenched. And once it starts, it takes a long time to stop, even if I cool down.

I don't use products on my scalp very often; a little bit of dry shampoo every now and then.

Has anyone here ever experienced something similar? How did you deal with it?

Maybe dry shampoo? But you've mentioned that... Hmm. :hmm:

Basically there's nothing you can do. :shrug: Maybe mist it with some water after a big sweaty session?

Can I ask you a... tough question? Was it like that when you were at a lower weight? I ask this because when I was at my heaviest (70+ kg for 1.70m), I sweat more as well. The tiniest thing could set it off. And I find now at 60-63kg that I don't have that anymore.

[Arctic]

This is not a solution to the base problem or even 100% to the outcome of the problem, but I think it looks nice when person has a nice quality fabric handketchief (spell?) neatly folded, and they casually take it out and pat the forehead. Much better than wiping with hand, or paper tissue or letting it drip. I don't know why but it reminds me of old times elegance :D You could also use fans, they would work with your cool style really well!

[Arctic]

I have heared doctor's can use botox or something to prevent sweating, although it's probably both expensive, temporary and possibly not very healthy.

[PixieP]

I sweat a lot; that's one reason I wash my hair daily.

Have you ever talked to a doctor about it? Or could it be hormone related?

My doctor says it could be a number of things; a sideeffects from one of the numerous medications I take, a sideeffect of my weight, or something else entierly. He doesn't want to try anything on me before I've lost some weight.


Maybe dry shampoo? But you've mentioned that... Hmm. :hmm:

Basically there's nothing you can do. :shrug: Maybe mist it with some water after a big sweaty session?

Can I ask you a... tough question? Was it like that when you were at a lower weight? I ask this because when I was at my heaviest (70+ kg for 1.70m), I sweat more as well. The tiniest thing could set it off. And I find now at 60-63kg that I don't have that anymore.

Not a tough question at all dear, I have no problems admitting to my weight being a problem! And as I said above, it might be a factor.


This is not a solution to the base problem or even 100% to the outcome of the problem, but I think it looks nice when person has a nice quality fabric handketchief (spell?) neatly folded, and they casually take it out and pat the forehead. Much better than wiping with hand, or paper tissue or letting it drip. I don't know why but it reminds me of old times elegance :D You could also use fans, they would work with your cool style really well!

That is a good idea about the handkerchief; I have kleenex with me everywhere that I use when it gets too bad and starts dripping. But you're right, a folder handkerchief will look more elegant and less "I'm having an issue" XD


I have heared doctor's can use botox or something to prevent sweating, although it's probably both expensive, temporary and possibly not very healthy.

Botox is a very good solution for a lot of people who struggle with sweat; but I have not seen anyone who do it for the face/scalp area to prevent sweating, only armpits and hands :(

[lapushka]

Not a tough question at all dear, I have no problems admitting to my weight being a problem! And as I said above, it might be a factor.

Oh I'm glad. :o When I lost the weight, it was mostly the armpits in my case. I did have some scalp sweating as well, but the arms were worse and my back as well, and in between the legs as well (may be TMI).

[Obsidian]

I get sweaty head too, bad enough that when I take my hair down at night its completely wet. I don't know how to stop the sweating but I have a couple things that help. One is to put it into pigtails or double braids, this helps keep the scalp a bit cooler so it doesn't sweat as bad. When my hair does get wet and can't or don't want to wash, I sit in front of a small fan and "blow" dry with the cool air, feels really nice to quickly cool the scalp down.

[eadwine]

Another vote for the weight.. when I was heavier (I topped you Lapushka ;) ) I had the same issues. It is annoying as hell, but it can be sorted thank goodness.

[PixieP]

Well I'm working as hard as I can on loosing the weight! Three workouts this week! ^_^

[Deborah]

My scalp sweats six days a week when I do my workout. Sweat does not make my hair get oily or dirty. I only wash my hair once a week, and the sweating causes no problem for my hair at all. I just let it dry.

Try ignoring it as far as your hair is concerned. It won't hurt it. It is only annoying.

[eadwine]

Well done PixieP!! *thumbs up*

[sanguinebread]

I'd just like to say that it may not be a good idea to wait to lose weight to look for a reason; weight gain can actually be an indicator of a lot of health problems rather than a cause, especially if you gained it around the same time you started having sweating issues.

Any doctor who isn't willing to run tests or attempt treatment without weight loss is not a doctor I would feel safe going to about problems. People can and do die (http://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2015/11/06/weight-discrimination-premature-death).

[MlleMC]

I have the same issue in the summer, the hair near my scalp gets completely wet as soon as it's hot. And there's no link to weight in my case. It doesn't seem to be affecting my hair though, other than being annoying. What I do that helps a bit is alternate between one and two braids so that different areas get wet each day. And take my hair down to fully dry when I'm inside with A/C.

[Spinder]

I have exactly the same problem with my waist length hair, especially in the summer season - my face and scalp are much more sweaty than the rest of my body, and I have found it very negatively affects the appearance and "feel" of my hair, most especially around my roots. A lot of things can affect this particular issue, especially female hormonal fluctuations. I tried estrogen-progestin birth control pills once to try and alleviate it, which helps many women, including my Mother, but for me personally, it only made the problem worse. Dry shampoo is also a no-go for me, as it left my hair very gummy, rough, and overall simply not very nice looking or feeling.

Among many remedies I have tried, I have found CWC'ing (condition, wash, condition), as discussed in LHC's Article section, has helped immensely with the amount of sweat my scalp produces, and how it affects the look and texture of my hair. I did not expect moistening my already oily roots (which is what conditioner technically does) to work, but I was surprised. My particular hair type is fine, thin, and slightly wavy though, it may not work so well for someone with coarser, thicker, or curlier hair.

Other than that... I am lost as to what to do. I wish there was a method that consistently worked for everyone - it is so annoying, frustrating and embarrassing. You are absolutely not alone on this one. :(

[samanthaa]

I would maybe consider using a hair dyer on the cool setting. This would at least dry your hair and mentally maybe make you feel a bit more confident (I know it would for me).

I know I sweat heavily 5 or so days a week from running, and if I'm not planning to wash, I like to let my hair down at home so it can air dry completely. After the hair is 100% dry, I sometimes boar bristle brush the roots and/or apply dry shampoo.

Maybe you can consider water washing with a higher frequently? When I water wash, I try to do no vigorous scrubbing--I just want to rinse away any sweat while keeping the sebum.

[Horrorpops]

I don't have any great suggestions about how to reduce your sweating unfortunately however I did want to ease your mind about the effect of sweat on hair.

At least for me, I work out and sweat a lot in the process multiple times a week but only wash my hair once or twice. It's never caused any problems that I could tell, so at least you don't have to worry about your hair!

I second some of the previous posters: excess weight, hormones and especially thyroid activity changes can be linked to increased sweating. It sounds like you're working hard to address any weight problems, and if your doctor isn't concerned regarding hormones and thyroid then that's a good thing. :o

I know (at least in Australia for hands and feet) you can get a treatment where they use an electric current and a water based medication to reduce sweating. "Ionophoresis", you may have already looked into it! While this obviously can't help with your scalp of face sadly, it is another option that's less invasive than Botox and is meant to work quite well for the periphery. :)

Anyways I might stick around here because my face and scalp get crazy sweating when it's hot, cold or when I'm stressed because it seems like some good suggestions are popping up!

[PixieP]

I really appreciate all the feedback, thank you lovelies! <3


I'd just like to say that it may not be a good idea to wait to lose weight to look for a reason; weight gain can actually be an indicator of a lot of health problems rather than a cause, especially if you gained it around the same time you started having sweating issues.

Any doctor who isn't willing to run tests or attempt treatment without weight loss is not a doctor I would feel safe going to about problems. People can and do die (http://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2015/11/06/weight-discrimination-premature-death).

I am well aware of how and why I gained the weight, no worries there. My doctor is amazing. The problem is I have half a dozen different chronic illnesses and I am on half a dozen types of medications, so it's very hard to pinpoint why a thing happens. He says there are things we can check out, but he would rather wait and see if it is weight-related, instead of puting me on any more medications or having to deal with any more medical prosedures than I'm on currently!


I have exactly the same problem with my waist length hair, especially in the summer season - my face and scalp are much more sweaty than the rest of my body, and I have found it very negatively affects the appearance and "feel" of my hair, most especially around my roots. A lot of things can affect this particular issue, especially female hormonal fluctuations. I tried estrogen-progestin birth control pills once to try and alleviate it, which helps many women, including my Mother, but for me personally, it only made the problem worse. Dry shampoo is also a no-go for me, as it left my hair very gummy, rough, and overall simply not very nice looking or feeling.

Among many remedies I have tried, I have found CWC'ing (condition, wash, condition), as discussed in LHC's Article section, has helped immensely with the amount of sweat my scalp produces, and how it affects the look and texture of my hair. I did not expect moistening my already oily roots (which is what conditioner technically does) to work, but I was surprised. My particular hair type is fine, thin, and slightly wavy though, it may not work so well for someone with coarser, thicker, or curlier hair.

Other than that... I am lost as to what to do. I wish there was a method that consistently worked for everyone - it is so annoying, frustrating and embarrassing. You are absolutely not alone on this one. :(

I need to go on BC pills because of PCOS :( I don't have a choice.

I'll try out CWC for a while, can't hurt!

[teal]

You've got a ton of great suggestions regarding health and so forth, so I won't add on there. I just wanted to suggest something to try if you haven't already tried it - a bun with loose hair. Ok that doesn't really describe it very well... :lol: a bun where the bun itself can be loose or tight (whatever you like) but the hair that is closest to the roots is loose. It can be a little annoying to "get right" because, well, loose hairs can mean buns flopping around or sinking or sitting lopsided.

Aaaaaanyway, when I wear this bun and my head sweats, the roots get a bit wet but it dries fairly quickly because the hairs are well ventilated and not pulled flat against the scalp thus trapping the moisture in. Of course this won't work entirely if you're sweating profusely, but then you'd probably be wanting your hankie or a headband for that kind of situation.

[PixieP]

You've got a ton of great suggestions regarding health and so forth, so I won't add on there. I just wanted to suggest something to try if you haven't already tried it - a bun with loose hair. Ok that doesn't really describe it very well... :lol: a bun where the bun itself can be loose or tight (whatever you like) but the hair that is closest to the roots is loose. It can be a little annoying to "get right" because, well, loose hairs can mean buns flopping around or sinking or sitting lopsided.

Aaaaaanyway, when I wear this bun and my head sweats, the roots get a bit wet but it dries fairly quickly because the hairs are well ventilated and not pulled flat against the scalp thus trapping the moisture in. Of course this won't work entirely if you're sweating profusely, but then you'd probably be wanting your hankie or a headband for that kind of situation.

This is exactly why I need to get a proper fork! With the stick and flexi I have now I really need to pull my scalp hair tight, which becomes quite uncomfortable after a very short time. So I do braids when going out mostly, but they make the hair lie very flat against the scalp.

[Arctic]

U-shaped hair pins would work, at least I can make loose updos (both scalp hair and bun) with them. They can be found very easily at least here in Finland. I like mine big and sturdy, even with my shorter length and thinner hair.

[trolleypup]

I haven't noticed damage from sweating heavily and letting it dry followed by an eventual rinse. I did notice when I was WO that a water wash when the scalp was more effective than a wash with a cool dry scalp. A cool rinse might kill two birds with one stone?