clothing during the menopause

One of the many symptoms women experience during the menopause is hot flushes. These can be embarrassing and often lead to excessive sweating which can be very uncomfortable.  It is therefore important to choose the right clothing, and in fact bedding (as many menopausal women experience night sweats too) in order to limit the discomfort of hot flushes.

Cotton would seem to be the natural choice - but cotton is absorbant and only holds up to 10% of its own weight in moisture before it becomes very wet. Therefore, people wearing and sweating in cotton often feel cold and damp once they’ve sweated which leads to the wearer compensating for the loss in temperature by making the body shiver or sweat even more!

Wicking materials, often used in sportswear, are in comparison to cotton more comfortable. Unlike cotton, wicking fabrics dry quickly because the smaller fibres that lie close to the skin lift (wick) moisture away.  Rather than absorbing the moisture like cotton garments, clothing made from wicking materials transport the moisture away from the skin to the outer surface where it can evaporate into the air. This process of evaporation cools the surface of the fabric which helps to pull moisture away from the skin and leaves the wearer less sweaty, cold damp and clammy.

Some of the clothing available made using this wicking effect is made from man-made fibres whilst others are made silk, bamboo and wool.

Today there is a number of clothing ranges designed specifically for women experiencing the menopause from nightwear and underwear, to outer wear. There are also bedding ranges specifically designed to provide a more comfortable night’s sleep by wicking excess moisture away from the skin.

Information written by the talkhealth medical panel

Last Reviewed: 11 January 2011
Next Review Date: 11 January 2013