Sweating can be very irritating – bacteria can stick together and make you smell bad, and if you don’t wipe your face after sweating, you may have pimples. You should also wash your hair frequently if you sweat a lot, although washing your hair frequently is not necessarily good for you.

Therefore, it is easy to assume that all these problems would go away if you did not sweat anymore. But there are pros and cons to your body disrupting this important process. We look at the things that could happen to you if you suddenly stop sweating.

Your Skin Would Suffer

Sweat hydrates your skin, so without it, your skin would be dry and would need extra care to keep it hydrated. Normal sweat production is said to have antibacterial effects, helping to open pores and cleanse what’s trapped inside.

So if you stop sweating, bacteria on the surface of your skin can stay there, as sweat helps kill harmful bacteria.

There’d Be A Higher Risk Of Getting Kidney Stones

Some research has found that sweat from regular exercise removes sodium that would otherwise go to the kidneys and urine, where stones form. This, in turn, would help increase blood volume, lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Therefore, if you stop sweating, you are at a higher risk of developing kidney stones and cardiovascular disease. Your body would also have a harder time ridding itself of toxins like heavy metals.

In Excessively Hot Climates, It’d Be Harder To Cool Down

The main function of sweating is to cool the body, so if you don’t sweat it can cause dizziness, cramps, nausea, and overheating. Symptoms of heat cramps include muscle pain and spasms.

You can also get heatstroke, a life-threatening condition that occurs when your body temperature reaches 103ºF. If left untreated, it can cause unconsciousness.

You Could Release Fewer Hormones That Attract People

Sweat produces chemicals called pheromones, which act like hormones outside the body to influence the behavior of other people. Women are more attracted to men when they are exposed to a component released by male sweat.

Another study found that smelling your partner’s sweaty shirt can reduce stress. So if you stopped sweating, not only would you be deprived of these benefits, but other people would be as well.

Your Body Wouldn’t Be Able To Tell You And Others How It Was Feeling

Your body sweats to prepare you for fight-or-flight situations if you feel nervous or scared, and you are calmer if you eat something spicy or hot. Sweating is a way for your body to communicate with you to tell you what is happening inside you.

It also communicates with other people about your feelings, emitting scents. One experiment found that women exposed to men’s sweat out of fear displayed expressions of fear, and those exposed to sweat out of disgust displayed expressions of disgust.

You’d Be More Likely To Spend Less Time Making Decisions

One study found that people take longer to make a decision than to make riskier decisions when exposed to sweat caused by anxiety.

This means that if you don’t sweat more, you’re more likely to take less time deciding things, making less risky decisions, even if you’re feeling anxious.

In other words, you can make safer and faster decisions if you don’t worry.

How much did you sweat per day? Would you rather stop sweating?