Stave Off Dreaded Underboob Sweat For Good With These Tips

As much as the summer months bring all the joy — beach days, cookouts, free concerts or movies in the park, and long days that seem to last forever (in a good way!) — it also brings with it some less than pleasing aspects: sweatiness. While sweating is totally normal and healthy, especially if you're working out or find yourself in a 90-degree situation, there are just certain places on your body where you really don't want to deal with sweat, including under your boobs. Although underboob sweat isn't as bad as behind sweat, it's still something you want to try to avoid at all costs (via Healthline).

But while underboob sweat is annoying and can even be embarrassing if it's excessive and can't be hidden, there are other downsides to it too. "When skin is on skin and it gets warm and moist, there can be an overgrowth of microbes that normally live on the skin," Dr. Purvisha Patel, M.D., tells Bustle. "There can be a breakdown of the top layer of skin and yeast can even flourish, which can result in itching, redness, and inflammation."

So, basically, you want to ditch that underboob sweat, not just because it feels uncomfortable but also because it's not doing your skin any favors. 

Even if you normally go braless, a bra is going to help with underboob sweat because it absorbs that sweat right up — as long as it's the right fabric to do the job.

"Often, sports bras are too thick, which can lead to excess under-breast sweating," Alexes Hazen, M.D., associate professor in the Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery at New York University, Langone tells Prevention. "Bras that extend down toward the abs can also promote sweating."

Opting for bras that are lacy, thin, and made of lightweight cotton — ditch the padding in the summer — will help reduce underboob sweat because these types of fabrics are very breathable. Furthermore, if underboob sweat should arise, it will dry quicker. If you stick to the mantra that synthetic fabrics are a big no-no if you want to avoid underboob sweat, then that's the first step in nixing the issue in the bud (via Glamour).

If we're honest with ourselves, in some situations, antiperspirants can only do so much. Using antiperspirants under your boobs can actually help, though. If you can use it under your arms and it doesn't cause irritation, then you can definitely use it under your boobs (via The Strategist). The only difference is that you want to keep it with you if you're going to have a long day out and about because you may want to apply it more than once depending on your activities and the temperature outside.

Botox, anyone? If the thought of having to live the rest of your life carrying around antiperspirant or alcohol wipes, which are great for controlling sweat but at the expense of closing your pores, then there's always Botox. "If you're wearing regular, nice clothing or a normal bra and it's happening in the AC, that can be problematic, so you should seek out treatment," Alyssa Golas, M.D., clinical assistant professor in the Hansjorg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery at NYU Langone Health, tells Refinery29.

Although the Botox route can be pricey, it does work for three to six months, so that's something to take into account. However, what's more important to take into account is the fact that underboob sweat is normal. It's natural, and anyone with breasts experiences it, especially on the regular when summertime rolls around. So, if you realize you've got some underboob sweat going on, don't fret. It's just the price we pay for having boobs.