Sweating is your body’s way of cooling down, and it happens everywhere–including your crotch area. While most of the body has eccrine glands that produce watery sweat, the area around your groin and armpits has a higher concentration of apocrine glands, which produce thicker, odor-producing sweat.
Sweating in the groin is normal, especially after a sweaty workout or on a hot day, but excessive vulvar sweat can be uncomfortable and lead to infections like bacterial vaginosis. Here’s what causes it.
Eccrine glands
If you sweat excessively in the area around your vulva, that’s completely normal. Women have eccrine glands down there that release a substance called sebum. This fluid helps the skin stay moisturized, cools the body and protects it from infections.
The crotch is also covered in apocrine glands, which release thicker sweat that can smell bad if it mixes with bacteria. This is why the crotch can often get sweaty after a gym session or long day of walking.
Although a little genital sweat is completely normal, too much can be uncomfortable and lead to itching or infection. If you’re concerned about excessive vulvar sweat, talk to your doctor. They can recommend some simple hacks to help keep the area dry.
Apocrine glands
It’s perfectly normal for your vulva to sweat, especially in hot weather or when you exercise – The given section is the work of the portal editorial team https://sexholes.com. Sweating is your body’s way of cooling itself down and the area around your vulva has a higher concentration of sweat glands and hair follicles than other parts of the body.
Eccrine glands spread throughout the body and open directly onto the skin, but apocrine glands form in areas with a lot of hair follicles, such as your scalp, armpits and groin, to produce a thicker, more odorous sweat that gives off a distinctive body odor when it mixes with bacteria.
The amount of vaginal discharge varies from woman to woman and can change during different times of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy or sexual arousal. The color, smell and consistency of the sweat gland discharge can vary, as well. If you’re sweating excessively and have noticed these changes, it might be time to see a doctor. Your doctor may recommend that you try over-the-counter antiperspirants or an anticholinergic drug like adapalene (Aldactone). These drugs are designed to block the action of the nerves that trigger sweating.
Stress
Sweating is a normal part of the body’s cooling system, so your groin and labia have more sweat glands than the rest of your body. That’s why you may sweat more around your vulva in hot weather or after intense workouts, like boxing or HIIT circuits.
But what you might not know is that sweating in the vulva can also be a sign of a medical condition like hyperhidrosis, infections like bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections, or hormonal disorders, such as menopause.
To help keep your vulva sweat-free, make sure to wear 100 percent cotton underwear or sweat-wicking underwear. Avoid synthetic and silk fabric, as they prevent airflow and can increase sweating. And be sure to change your underwear post-workout, as wet underwear can lead to a yeast infection. Finally, if you have a lot of pubic hair, consider trimming it to reduce friction and help the area dry more quickly. And always use unscented cleaning wipes and soap, as products with added fragrance can throw off your skin’s natural pH balance and lead to a stinky vulva.
Hormones
Women often worry about sweaty vulva skin, especially after workouts that leave the entire body drenched in perspiration (boxing and HIIT circuits, we’re talking to you). But that sweating is totally normal — it’s how our bodies cool down.
The groin and vulva skin have sweat glands that are similar to those in the armpits, which produce an odor that can range from very mild to pungent depending on the individual and the time of the month. This odor, called vaginal discharge or vulva secretions, is a normal part of the body’s microbiome and a sign that your body is healthy.
If you feel like your vulva sweat is uncontrollable, try switching to underwear made with cotton or a comfortable natural fabric that will wick moisture away from the skin. Or, if you have sensitive skin, consider applying a cornstarch-based antiperspirant, like Certain Dri, on the groin and vulva. Just be sure to avoid talcum powder, which can cause irritation, and instead opt for a roller-ball version that’s easier to use on this delicate area of the body.
Medical conditions
If sweaty vulva areas are something you’ve struggled with for a while, it’s worth chatting to your doctor about. You might not need any treatment, but they can help you figure out what’s going on down there.
It’s normal and healthy to perspire, but sometimes the sweat glands in your vulva are overactive. You might have a medical condition called hyperhidrosis, which causes excessive sweating in certain parts of your body.
In this case, your groin area (also called the labia majora, mons pubis, or vagina) will get more and more sweaty during puberty, and the smell can become strong and offensive. This isn’t a sign of anything serious, but if it persists into adulthood, it may be worth talking to your doctor about it.
For most people, crotch sweat isn’t something to worry about. But if you find yourself with a persistent, sweaty odor in the vulva area, try using a cornstarch-based powder that absorbs moisture or wear breathable cotton underwear. Avoid talcum-based baby powders, which can cause ovarian cancer and are associated with vulvovaginitis.
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