There's Actually A Secret Perk Of Being Super Sweaty All The Time

I'm an incredibly sweaty person. I'm not sure why — maybe it's because I get nervous easily or because I'm always too hot — but I spend most of my day bathing in a pool of my own sweat. Come and get me, boys.

I've found ways to work around it. I know that certain fabrics, like silk and chambray, will always accentuate my pit stains. I can't wear heather grey without fearing for my life. I even keep a mini deodorant in my bag at all times, just in case the sweat monster hits and I start looking like those drenched guys in subway ads. You know the ones.

While I've lived my life under the assumption there's no silver lining to my overactive sweat glands, it turns out I was wrong. Laure Rittié, dermatology researcher at the University of Michigan Health System, claims being Sweaty McSweaterson has one large benefit: It can help wounds heal.

The eccrine glands, which are spread out throughout your body, are a major component in wound closure. They help contribute new cells that can replace old, lost cells. There is one drawback, though.

Rittié told New York Magazine,

One hundred percent of sweat glands contribute to would healing in young adults.

That number, however, decreases as we get older. Sorry, but your sweat won't help you much when you're old and grey and walking into things all the time. If you're not too interested in this benefit anyway and instead want to control your never-ending sweat problem, you might want to ditch your ice pack.

Remember sweat is a response to the body's internal temperature, not external. Putting an ice pack on the small of your back or your forehead only cools down a small external area on your body. A gulp or two of cold water will help cool you down internally, which will help bring your overall body temperature down and help regulate sweating.

Additionally, Rittié suggests that blasting the AC won't necessarily decrease the sweat-suation. Going from a cold building to another cold building doesn't allow us to acclimate to the heat outside, and it forces sweat glands to try to achieve more regular and controlled sweating.

Hey, over-sweaters, maybe staying inside all summer doesn't seem like such a bad idea after all.