No one wants a sweaty crotch!
Excessive groin sweat can be an uncomfortable problem for men - sweaty balls are no joke.
Luckily, there are many effective treatment options available! The type of treatment a person needs depends on the cause of their sweating.
Is it:
- Clothing choice?
- Exercise regimen?
- Hereditary?
- A medical condition?
TREATMENT OPTIONS!
Lifestyle Adjustments
Change your underwear!
And we're not talking about putting on a new pair every day (but you should do that too)!
Boxers that are made out of breathable cotton are best instead of briefs or boxer briefs.
Wash yourself!
Maintain proper hygiene. This means washing the groin with warm water and soap at least once a day, or twice if sweat has had time to accumulate.
Otherwise, men can develop problems in addition to sweat like:
- chafing
- itching
- bacterial infections
- fungal infections.
This is how many athletes get jock itch.[4]
Finally, losing extra weight, eating healthy, and limiting your consumption of beverages like coffee and alcohol can also reduce groin sweat .[4]
Over-the-Counter Treatments
There are many over-the-counter treatments can stop or help lessen excessive sweating in men.
Options:
Antiperspirants
It can be tricky to find the right type of antiperspirant for the groin, especially because it can cause irritation. However, there are solutions and antiperspirants can be quite helpful.[4]
Powders
Baby powder (talcum) powder or cornstarch powder can be applied to the groin to help with sweating.
These powders absorb moisture, prevent chafing, and ease irritation.
Talcum powder has been linked to ovarian cancer, but this is not an issue for men. Combining over-the-counter methods may lead to the largest benefit.[4]
Medical Treatments (AKA When all else fails)
If more conservative measures don’t stop excessive sweating in men, then they can pursue medical treatment options.
Oral Medications
Oral medications can be prescribed to reduce sweat production, but they often have undesirable systemic side effects.
Doctors usually prescribe a class of medications called anticholinergics that prevent the body from producing sweat. They occasionally prescribe antidepressants or anxiolytics if they believe there is a psychiatric component to sweating.[2]
Botox
One of the most promising treatments used to decrease the production of groin sweat is the use of botox injections.
Botox is injected into the skin of the problem areas and it prevents sweat production.
To be clear, botox is not injected directly into sweaty balls, so don’t worry about that.
Results can last for more than three months in most cases. Botox has very few side effects and is quite effective for this type of hyperhidrosis.[2]
Surgery
Finally, there are surgical treatments available to treat hyperhidrosis, but they usually are not a good option for issues with groin sweat.
Usually excision of sweat glands is used, but this can be risky for the sensitive tissue in the groin region.[2]
WHAT IS CAUSING GROIN SWEAT?
Is it medical?
Sometimes it's caused by a condition called primary focal hyperhidrosis.[1], which often shows up when guys hit puberty and lasts for the rest of your life. Awesome, huh? When it's just in the groin, it's called Hexsel’s hyperhidrosis.[1] .
This can affect specific areas of the body:
- Hands
- Feet
- Face
- Armpits
- Groin
Sometimes, excessive groin sweating is caused by a condition called secondary generalized hyperhidrosis. Sweating from secondary hyperhidrosis tends to come on suddenly and it is caused by an underlying medical issue or as a side effect of a medication.
Here are some conditions that can cause groin sweating from secondary hyperhidrosis:
- Diabetes
- Hormone imbalances
- Low blood sugar
- Hyperthyroidism
- Medication
- Withdrawal
- Several types of infections and other medical conditions[3]
If you are a man struggling with groin sweat, it is worth your time to investigate the treatment options available. It can greatly improve your quality of life and reduce the symptoms you have to live with on a daily basis.
Sources
- Pariser, D. M. (2014). Hyperhidrosis (4th ed., Vol. 32). Amsterdam: Elsevier Pub. Co., 2014. Retrieved from https://www.elsevier.com/books/hyperhidrosis-an-issue-of-dermatologic-clinics/pariser/978-0-323-32607-0
- Hexsel, D. M., Dal'Forno, T. D., & Hexsel, C. L. (2004). Inguinal, or Hexsel’s Hyperhidrosis. Clinics in Dermatology, 22, 53-59. Retrieved June 27, 2019, from https://www.sweathelp.org/pdf/Hexsel.pdf
- Is the Sweating Between My Legs Excessive? (n.d.). Retrieved July 1, 2019, from https://www.healthline.com/health/how-do-i-stop-sweating-between-my-legs
- What Causes Excessive Testicular Sweating, and How Can I Treat It? (n.d.). Retrieved July 1, 2019, from https://www.healthline.com/health/what-causes-excessive-testicular-sweating-and-how-can-i-treat-it