Imagine the scene, you’re out with friends at the park on a hot summer’s day and a frisbee hovers above you. You instinctively reach up to grab it, but instantly notice an unwelcome sight: a paddling pool’s worth of underarm sweat. Without a sweat proof T shirt, this and similar scenarios are sadly all too common.
Let’s face it, we’ve all been there at some point, and whilst it’s perfectly natural, there still hangs a social stigma around visible sweat marks. There are a few things you can try, however, to combat those pit puddles. With the UK’s hottest day on record just passed, and more heatwaves on the horizon, why not try a few of these yourself and see what works for you?
Sweat Proof T Shirts
If you’ve found it tricky to actually stop the excessive sweating, the easiest way to avoid sweat marks is to just conceal them. Now sure, you could walk around with a coat on all summer, but if your waterfall of a brow doesn’t give you away, then the inevitable collapse from heat exhaustion probably will.
Luckily, we’re living in the 21st century, and some clever folk have invented sweat proof T shirts! Whilst they won’t stop you from actually sweating, their built in armpit sweat pads will soak up any perspiration before it gets chance to show on the outside of your tee. Social Citizen’s sweat proof tees in particular boast a three-layer construction that utilises antimicrobial bamboo, which helps to combat the funky whiff that can accompany underarm sweat.
The built-in pads are entirely invisible from the outside of the shirt, with no visible seams or awkward-looking lumps, so nobody will be any the wiser. As far as quick and easy solutions go, this is by far the best way to avoid those stains.
Removable Armpit Sweat Pads
These will do a similar job as the t shirts mentioned above, though they may well lack the BO-battling bamboo that the aforementioned tees offer. Check to see what they’re made of before purchasing.
The main draw for these is that they can be fitted to all of your favourite tops that you already own. Unfortunately the drawbacks are that they can be visible through wide sleeve openings, can occasionally create a noticeable lump, and aren’t guaranteed to stay in place. The only thing worse than exposing a sweat patch when reaching for that frisbee, is seeing a soggy sweat pad fall out of the bottom of your shirt. Probably more suitable for sedentary activities, rather than any social events that may see you move around a bit.
Shave Your Pits
Whilst it’s great to be a guy and not have to worry about societal pressures to have a hairless body, you may want to shave off your pit wigs if you want to avoid soggy underarms.
Armpit hair has a habit of trapping perspiration and keeping it nice and cosy in that one spot. This in turn causes those big wet patches, and eventually a bit of a hum. Shave your pits if you haven’t already, and enjoy a noticeable decrease in sweaty underarms.
Relaaaax
Ever had a job interview and practically had to wring your shirt out afterwards? That’s not because you cheaped out on that 100% polyester suit, but because stress and nervousness can cause to sweat even more. Try some mindfulness exercises, yoga, tai chi, or meditation. Any of these will help you to calm your nerves, and in turn, those little sweat factories under your arms.
The problem for excessive sweaters is that they’re so anxious of sweating through their clothes, that the anxiety causes them to sweat even more. In these instances, why not try a sweat proof t shirt to allay your fears? If you’re confident that your sweat patches won’t show, you’ll relax and actually sweat less in the first place!
There’s plenty more solutions if these don’t help, such as botox and other medical procedures, but for most people, a combination of one or more of these options should see you catching frisbees left, right and centre without a care in the world. Let us know below if you’ve come across any other solutions that might help.
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