Don't Wipe That Sweat Off Your Brow and You'll Cool Down Faster

As the temperatures get higher, a lot of us are starting to sweat more often. But, unless you're drenched, you're better off not wiping it off your head, since it can cool you off faster.

Brian Palmer over at Slate explains the science:

Don't wipe unless you're drenched. Sweat releases heat by evaporative cooling. As each gram of sweat transitions from liquid to gas phase, it absorbs 2,427 joules of energy from the body and dissipates the heat into the environment. But if you wipe away the perspiration before it evaporates, that process will get cut short, and you'll need to sweat more just to achieve the same degree of cooling. On the other hand, any sweat that drips to the ground before it can evaporate won't do you any good, so if you're really soaked you may as well reach for the towel.

So the next time you go to mop your brow, think twice—if you're really serious about cooling off, you may want to leave those sweat beads to evaporate on their own. Of course, you can always speed up the process by knowing your body's quick cooling spots, too.

Let Them See You Sweat | Slate

Photo by Carine06.