Upper Lip Sweating: Why? Home remedies?

What is Excessive Sweating of the Upper Lip?

Certain parts of the body sweat more than others. For example, most people sweat from areas like the armpits, even those who don’t suffer from excessive sweating.

Any part of the body that has sweat glands can produce sweat, including the entire lip area, in both men and women, whether or not there is hair in that region.

The most commonly used medical term in scientific literature is “craniofacial hyperhidrosis”:

• “Hyperhidrosis” means excessive sweating.
• “Craniofacial” indicates that it is localized at least partially on the face and/or the skull.

Most of the time, individuals with excessive sweating of the upper lip also experience excessive sweating in other parts of the body, such as the armpits or all over the body. However, sometimes, their primary concern is specifically related to the upper lip.

To determine if you have hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating in this area of the body, you can use the HDSS score, also known as the Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale. It involves answering the question, “How would you rate the severity of your excessive sweating?” by choosing from four possible responses.

Typically, if you have excessive sweating of the upper lip, you often feel damp or even soaked in this area.

You may need to wipe it frequently with a tissue or your sleeve. Sometimes, excessive sweating can even occur at night.

Excessive sweating of the upper lip can affect both men and women and is often associated with excessive sweating in other parts of the body.

Is Upper Lip Perspiration Common?

It is challenging to provide a precise answer to this question for several reasons:

1. In questionnaires assessing the frequency of hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), the upper lip area is often not included in the list of body parts where excessive sweating may occur. Instead, the questionnaire typically offers “facial sweating” as an option.
2. People may feel even more embarrassed discussing debilitating sweating in this particular area compared to other parts of the body.

For instance, in 2013, I conducted an online survey on the location of hyperhidrosis in individuals visiting this site.

While I did not specify the upper lip as a location, 2.43% of over 700 respondents mentioned excessive sweating in at least one other body part (potentially including the upper lip). In fact, several individuals had mentioned sweating in this specific area.

Here are statistics on the most common locations for hyperhidrosis in patients in the United States (Lear 2007):

1. 73% experience excessive sweating in the armpits.
2. 46% in the hands.
3. 41% in the feet.
4. 23% in the face or scalp.
5. 9% in the groin.
6. 10% in other regions.

Moreover, most of the individuals I have seen in consultation for hyperhidrosis in recent years have mentioned experiencing excessive sweating of the upper lip when they were affected by facial hyperhidrosis.

Additionally, in United-States alone, thousands of internet users search each month for information and solutions regarding upper lip sweating in both men and women (which likely led you to this page).

Among the 1 to 5% of people worldwide affected by hyperhidrosis, 1 in 4 individuals also experiences sweating on the face (and likely in the upper lip).

Why Do I Sweat from My Upper Lip For No Reason?

There are three types of sweat glands in the body, and all three types are present on the face. Therefore, it is entirely normal to sweat from this area!

For individuals who sweat more than the average person, it is also “normal” to sweat more than the average amount from this part of the body.

Now, why do you sweat more than the average? It could be due to two things:

1. Primary Hyperhidrosis: Your excessive sweating is of genetic origin (this is the case for 9 out of 10 people).
2. Secondary Hyperhidrosis: This means there is another cause of your excessive sweating, such as a medication that induces sweating, another condition like a hormonal problem, excessive alcohol consumption, overweight or obesity, medication like antidepressants, or disease like cancer.

You can refer to my article to help determine whether you likely have primary or secondary hyperhidrosis (coming soon in english).

These explanations should partly reassure you: you are not abnormal.

It is logical to sweat from these body parts, even though it can be very distressing when sweating excessively. This can be attributed to either primary or secondary hyperhidrosis.

Can Antiperspirants Be Used on Upper Lip?

Are there solutions to sweat less from the upper lip area, or at least to make it less bothersome? The answer is yes 👍🏼.

Let’s start with antiperspirants.

Can you apply Etiaxil (see on Amazon) to this area? Or another antiperspirant containing aluminum chloride, alum, or another substance designed to combat excessive underarm sweating?

Etiaxil is not specifically formulated to be applied to the face.

However, the application of salt-based antiperspirants is still suggested as a possible solution for facial hyperhidrosis, including the upper lip area.

The goal? To reduce sweating.

There are two options if you want to try this type of antiperspirant:

1. Use “traditional” antiperspirants for hands or feet, like Etiaxil, Driclor, or Odaban.
2. Try an antiperspirant specifically designed to be applied to the groin area. Several brands offer such products in the form of gels or wipes.

Here are some of these products that you can purchase on Amazon (or other online retailers) or, for some of them, at the pharmacy.

Antiperspirants specifically designed to combat facial sweating:

The same application conditions as for the underarms should be followed to maximize effectiveness:

• Apply to dry skin (you can use a hairdryer to dry the skin or gently pat it with a towel) and avoid applying to mucous membranes.
• Do not wash or engage in activities that cause heavy sweating in the hours following application. It’s best to apply the product in the evening so it has sufficient time to penetrate into the sweat glands.

To date, there have been no studies evaluating the effectiveness of these antiperspirants against upper lip perspiration.

Minor and transient side effects may occur, such as redness, pain, or itching at the application site.

Some people apply antiperspirants containing aluminum salts or other substances to their face, including the upper lip area.

Are there medical treatments for upper lip sweating?

Antiperspirants can be purchased over the counter without consulting a healthcare professional. There are also medical treatments for excessive sweating that can be used on the upper lip.

Firstly, there are medications for excessive sweating that act on sweating throughout the body. They require a medical consultation to ensure there are no contraindications.

A prescription is often necessary, although some can be purchased online without a prescription. I explain their effectiveness, side effects, and how to obtain them in detail here: Sweating Medications.

Iontophoresis, botulinum toxin injections, and miraDry are other treatments for hyperhidrosis. However, they are not typically applied to the upper lip area (although some may suggest using iontophoresis on the face).

Thoracic sympathectomy is a surgical procedure that is sometimes offered for excessive facial sweating. However, it may not be advisable if you only sweat from the mustache area, given the significant risk of compensatory hyperhidrosis.

You can learn more by reading my article on sympathectomy for facial sweating (soon in english).

Upper Lip Sweating: Home Remedies

On the internet or in magazines, you can find many old-fashioned remedies that are supposed to reduce excessive sweating.

I am very skeptical about their effectiveness.

I have never come into contact with people suffering from facial sweating who used these solutions regularly or gave me positive feedback. And this has been the case for the 11 years I’ve been blogging here!

Here are the most common ones:

1. Baking Soda and Cornstarch: Create a paste by mixing equal parts of baking soda and cornstarch with a few drops of water. Apply this paste to your upper lip, leave it on for about 15 minutes, and then rinse it off with lukewarm water.
2. Witch hazel. Dab a little witch hazel on your upper lip using a cotton ball. Allow it to air dry.
3. Lemon juice. Apply freshly squeezed lemon juice to your upper lip and leave it on for 15-20 minutes before rinsing.
4. Aloe Vera Gel: Apply a thin layer of aloe vera gel to your upper lip. Aloe vera has cooling and soothing properties that can help reduce sweating.

In my opinion, the only things you can implement from home, in addition to those already mentioned (anti-perspirant, facial wipes), are:

• Frequently use a fan or create airflow. Moving air helps to evaporate sweat droplets on the skin’s surface more quickly.
• Wear lightweight, breathable clothing, especially on the upper body.
• Regularly wipe the upper lip with a towel (see here on Amazon, but any type of fabric will do).

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Do you have any comments or questions? Your comments are welcome 🙂 !

You may also like:

• My blog on hyperhidrosis
• Reasons For Sweating a Lot for No Reason!

 📚 SOURCES

Teivelis MP, Wolosker N, Krutman M, Kauffman P, Campos JR, Puech-Leão P. Treatment of uncommon sites of focal primary hyperhidrosis: experience with pharmacological therapy using oxybutynin. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2014 Sep;69(9):608-14. doi: 10.6061/clinics/2014(09)06. PMID: 25318092; PMCID: PMC4192402.

Lear W, Kessler E, Solish N, et al. An epidemiological study of hyperhidrosis. Dermatol Surg 2007;33(s1):S69–75