What helps with always having sweaty hands?

If you sweat a lot on your hands, you would prefer to avoid shaking hands. How do you deal with so-called hyperhidrosis or even get rid of it?

Constantly sweaty hands are more than a nuisance for those affected. After all, the handshake is a tradition in interpersonal communication and has become common again with the end of the pandemic. But what to do to spare the other person a wet handshake? And how can you get rid of sweating on your hands – or at least alleviate it?

Causes: psychological factors and physical diseases

To do this, you need to know: “There are around 400 sweat glands per square centimeter on the hands, which is a relatively large number,” says Munich dermatologist Marion Moers-Carpi. Because there are neither hair nor sebaceous glands in the skin of the palms, the sweat does not catch as well. As a result, the hands quickly become damp.

And where exactly does excessive sweating come from? “The causes lie, for example, in the psycho-vegetative area,” says dermatologist Jan-Olaf Piontek from Rheinbach. In other words, triggers can be anxiety, stress, or anger. In addition, there are also diseases that cause increased sweating on hands or feet. These include, for example, high blood pressure, thyroid disorders, diabetes, or autoimmune diseases. “In 65 percent of cases, hyperhidrosis, i.e. increased sweating on the hands, feet or armpits, is genetic,” says Marion Moers-Carpi.

Shaking hands despite sweaty palms?

According to the dermatologist, how those affected deal with wet hands in everyday life or at work is an individual decision. One solution may be not to shake hands with the other person and to justify this also in the post-Corona period with a potential risk of infection. “You can do it about Asian,” says Marion Moers-Carpi. So to greet or say goodbye, fold your hands in front of the counterpart, bow your head and formulate in a nice way: “You understand, I don’t want to shake hands because of a possible risk of infection.”

This helps against sweaty hands

But there are people who are very keen that others do not notice their moist hands – especially at work. This can help them – even if it means alleviating the problem in the long term.

Wipe inconspicuously

Wash/disinfect hands before contact and dry with cloth/handkerchief.

Sage tea

Squeezing sage tea with a spray attachment is effective for sweaty hands, reducing sweat gland activity.

Iontophoresis

Iontophoresis is a harmless and effective treatment for sweaty hands. It involves moistening the palms of the hands in a water bath or with a damp sponge and passing high-frequency or pulsed direct current through the water using a small device. It is important to follow the treatment, ideally ten minutes a day, and doctors can often provide patients with a device to take home.

Botulinum toxin therapy

Botulinum toxin therapy involves injecting Botox under the skin, which can be painful and anesthesia is possible. The success of the therapy must be repeated after six months. It is an expensive option.

Stress reduction

Relaxation exercises, such as yoga and breathing exercises, can help to reduce sweaty hands due to emotional causes, allowing both nerves and sweat glands to rest.

Medications

Moers-Carpi suggests taking pills to slow down excessive sweating, but these are not the best therapy due to their low effectiveness. To prevent sweating on the hands, dermatologists advise not using high-fat hand creams and gloves, and keeping hands cool and dry.

dpa. “Ständig Schweißfeuchte Hände – Was Hilft?” Apotheken Umschau, 20 Apr. 2023, http://www.apotheken-umschau.de/krankheiten-symptome/symptome/staendig-schweissfeuchte-haende-was-hilft-963581.html.