1. How Much Sweat Is Too Much?
Summer is nearly here, and that means it's time for sandals. For many people, however, wearing sandals can be embarrassing, especially if they suffer from excess sweating. There are 250,000 sweat glands in each foot which produce one-half pint of moisture per day. People with excess sweating, called hyperhidrosis, can sweat much more than that, leading to scaling, fungus infections, and overall sandal-unworthy feet.
So what's a person with sweaty feet to do?
2. Wash With Antibacterial Soap and Dry Completely
Wash your feet every day with antibacterial soap. Use a hand soap which often have antibacterial agents, such as triclosan, which fights odor causing bacteria. Many bar soaps do not contain such anticbacterial agents, so check before using one on your feet. Then dry them completely, including between the toes (come on, you know you don't). You can even use a hairdryer on the cool setting to get your feet completely dry.
3. Apply Foot Powder
Next, apply a foot powder (powder is better than corn starch, which tends to absorb the moisture, leaving a wet paste on your skin). Try Lamisil AT defense with tolfnaftate, an antifungal, if you have a tendency to get athlete's foot, or try Dr. Scholl's Deodorant Foot Powder with Zinoxol (zinc oxide and baking soda) if you have smelly, sweaty feet.
4. Wear Synthetic Socks
Wear synthetic socks instead of cotton. Synthetics which wick moisture away from your skin instead of absorbing it and holding it against your skin like a sponge. Many sports brands offer sweat-wicking socks, such as Adidas Clima Cool socks.
5. For Seriously Sweaty Feet, See Your Physician
If you have exceptionally sweaty feet or suspect that you many have hyperhidrosis, then consider the following:
See your physician. He can prescribe a prescription-strength antiperspirant (Drysol). After one week of applying Drysol nightly, most patients have a significant reduction in foot sweating. It can, however, be irritating, and some people cannot tolerate using it every day.
Get Botox injections. When injected into your feet, Botox blocks the signal from the nerves that turn on your sweat glands, stopping sweating. The downside: getting stuck with little needles about a hundred times on the bottom of your feet. The upside: a marked reduction in sweating that lasts many months.
Then treat yourself to a new pair of sandals to show off your dry, healthy feet.
