Pole, Sweat and Magnesium

I have complained in the past about sweating.  I strangely associate it with being a fatty, even though I have been basically sweaty since I was born.  Yes, I've had my thyroid checked.  That's not it (supposedly...more on that later).  Some people are just sweaty.  Sweat isn't dirty.  It's just wet.  You'll dry after I hug you.  Get over it.  I sweat when I workout.  I sweat if I have anxiety.  My body just likes to sweat.  I remember starting a brand new job about ten years ago and my entire head was drenched.  It looked like I had taken a shower.  Oh yeah, that's basically where I sweat from -- my head.  I don't get ridiculous pits or clammy hands.  I mean, my body sweats, but my head SWEATS. 

I also have psoriasis, which is kind of like extremely dry skin.  Technically, it is an autoimmune disease that causes skin to grow faster and die in certain areas.  So, it's less just regular ol' dry skin and more like nasty ol' dead skin.  But whatever.  It's ugly and I hate it. 

So, which pole products will work for me?  I'm not sweaty everywhere and I'm not overly dry everywhere.  Products like Dry Hands or a spray on anti-perspirant might work for me if my hands were sweatier.  And products like Dew Point or shaving cream might work if my hands were even more dry.  I feel like iTac and Mighty Grip have stick factor that require my hands to be somewhat dry.  Honestly, I feel like I can get a good stick off my hands if they are dry, then I touch them lightly to my sweaty face.

But what about my body?  When I really start moving and my head starts sweating and it drips down to my body, when then?  I slip off the pole like a buttered pig.  God forbid I had any product in my hair and accidently ran my hands through it during class.  Double whammy.  So slippery. 

At Pole Expo, I met the girl who created Dirty Girl Poletice.  It is a product created for people who are sweaty.  And you don't just have to use it on your hands (but you do need to follow instructions because if you use it incorrectly, like I did the first time, you will slip right off the pole...it needs to be washed off after it dries...it also feels lovely as a mask on your face). 

Anyway, Summer mentioned to me that a magnesium deficiency can often cause excessive sweating.  So I did a little research and it sounds like magnesium deficiencies can wreak a lot of havoc in the body.

According to THIS article, here are the top five health benefits of magnesium:

1. Magnesium may reverse osteoporosis

2. Magnesium prevents cardiovascular diseases

3. Magnesium regulates high blood pressure (Hypertension)

4. Magnesium treats diabetes

5. Magnesium treats migraines, insomnia, and depression

And according to THIS article:

Particularly if you do not replace electrolytes and fluid lost through excessive sweating, you increase the possibility of developing an electrolyte imbalance. Hypomagnesemia, or a low serum magnesium level, is one of those imbalances.

So even if the low magnesium doesn't cause excessive sweating, certainly being a sweaty person could lead to low magnesium levels, which may lead to other issues. 

HERE is another interesting take when someone asks a question about whether a magnesium deficiency could cause excessive sweating (which can be found in the comments section):

So, I don't have a great 'Aha' type answer for you for your hyperhidrosis, but since you seem open to finding some solutions, I can recommend some things that have worked for other people that may or may not work for you.

There seems to be a LARGE relationship between hyperhidrosis and the thyroid. You said that your thyroid tests were normal, but doctors are NOTORIOUSLY BAD at UNDERDIAGNOSING hypothyroid, so anyone who tells me that they have been tested and their thyroid is normal, I don't believe it.

I also found THIS list of vitamins that may reduce sweating, which does include magnesium, among other vitamins.

The sweating thing aside, the fact that magnesium may help treat depression was enough for me to try it.  I have been taking a calcium supplement that includes magnesium, but have recently added additional magnesium pills throughout the day.  I definitely feel like I'm not quite as sweaty as I was before.  I mean, there are certainly some moments on BART when the air is broken and all the bodies are making me overly anxious, so I sweat.  But I feel like, whehn I workout, I'm not quite as drenched.  It's enough for me to continue taking it.  I also feel less depressed but the holidays are over and that is probably helping a lot too.

Does anyone else have any experience with sweating and magnesium?  I'd love to hear your advice!