Dear blondehot,

To control sweating, some people use antiperspirants. All antiperspirants have an aluminum-based compound as their active ingredient. If you look on the back of an antiperspirant container, this ingredient is always listed first. When your skin takes up the aluminum, each cell takes in water at the same time. As water flows in, the skin cells begin to swell. The cells get so big that, eventually, sweat can't squeeze past the cells to exit your sweat ducts.

One change that happens during puberty is that your sweat glands will produce greater amounts of sweat. Teenage sweat is different from kid sweat. For starters, there's much more of it. During puberty, hormones that are busy changing you into an adult also up the output of your sweat glands. You sweat more all over, but the places affected most are under your arms and around your genitals.

For people who need something stronger than antiperspirant, there is a prescription to control sweating. Talk to your health care provider to learn more about this option, or call 1-800-230-PLAN for a referral from the nearest Planned Parenthood.

Hope this information helps!

Take care,

teenwire.com^® Editors

This column is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have a medical problem, please call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN for an appointment with the Planned Parenthood health center nearest you.