Men's Life Today: Expert Q+A

I’ve been using the same antiperspirant since baseball season began, and it’s worked. But recently, I’ve been sweating through my jersey. Is it possible to build up resistance to an antiperspirant?

Antiperspirants are made of aluminum salts that form plugs in your sweat glands to prevent sweat from coming out to the surface of the skin. While there’s no data-based evidence of true resistance to antiperspirant, the body is prewired to do what it needs to do to cool down. So theoretically, your body could build up a heightened tolerance to antiperspirant and respond by making more sweat.

If you feel like you’ve been sweating more -- or if you’ve always been a heavy sweater -- here are my suggestions:

• First, try changing your application routine. Antiperspirant is most effective when it’s applied at a time when you aren’t sweating, like at night before bed. You can also try applying it in the morning and at night instead of just once per day.

• If your regular antiperspirant still isn’t cutting it, switch to a clinical-strength antiperspirant, which will have a higher aluminum salt concentration. Try applying it once a day, ideally at night, or up to twice a day.

Still sweating? It may be time to see your dermatologist. He or she can prescribe you a prescription-strength antiperspirant or discuss alternatives for excessive sweating, such as BOTOX. -- As told to Elizabeth Narins