We get so many questions about sweating that we thought we'd answer a few at once, since you three (and scads of other ym.com readers) all have the same general concerns, which are a) do I sweat more than everyone else? b) is there something wrong with me? and c) what can I do about it?

First of all, the most important thing to keep in mind is that it's easy to feel self-conscious and think that you're sweatier than say, all of your friends. But that's probably not the case, since all people sweat (more so if they are feeling really warm, or it's during the summer, or they're in a stressful situation, or they've been working out really hard, or one of a million other reasons). The overwhelming majority of people out there can keep odor and wetness under reasonable control by taking daily showers and washing with soap and warm water, and then applying an anti-perspirant/deodorant (the anti-perspirant cuts down on wetness, the deodorant does the same for odors). This doesn't mean you'll suddenly be dry as a bone! After all, sweating is a natural, normal, fact of life.

But, what if you're really concerned and think you're not in the normal sweat range? Then it's time to talk to a dermatologist and have them check you out for a condition called Hyperhidrosis, which basically means "excessive perspiration." To get more information about this, we spoke with Dr. Sumayah Jamal, MD, PhD. She's an Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Microbiology at NYU's School of Medicine.

"About 2.8% of the popular has Hyperhidrosis, and within that group, 50% of those people have the kind of Hyperhidrosis that causes underarm sweatiness," she says. (Other spots you might feel super sweaty if you've got Hyperhidrosis are the palms of your hands or the soles of your feet.) Dr. Jamal says there's an easy test a doctor can do in their office which is not at all painful or invasive, and can quickly tell if you've got Hyperhidrosis. If you do have it, Dr. Jamal says, "don't be alarmed. Some people just perspire more than other people. It's not necessarily a sign of any serious underlying medical condition." She says it's totally treatable, too. Most cases respond to a topically applied aluminum chloride solution. That's the stuff that is found in anti-perspirant, but this is a higher concentration, which your doctor has to write a prescription for. And if that doesn't work, your doctor can suggest some other stuff to try. There is no reason for you to be embarrassed to ask a parent about making a doctor's appointment, nor should you feel weird mentioning it to a doctor, by the way. Especially since curing this will make you feel less self-conscious.

In short? Less than 3% of the population has Hyperhidrosis, an excessive sweating condition, which, once diagnosed, can usually respond quite well to treatment. But most of us — over 97% of the population — are just normal, average sweaters. It's easy to think we're not, since it's not like supermodels are shot looking clammy or you see actresses on the red carpet blotting their underarms or wiping their hands on their dresses, but trust us, they all sweat, too!

—Andrea Pyros