Ask Tug: A Tall Order for a Small Undershirt – Puffy Nipples and Excessive Sweating Combined

I’ll be doing the undershirt reviews on the new CK undershirts and the Manshape slimming tank soon, but in the meantime, I thought I’d share some of the great questions readers have been sending in over the last couple of months. This question came in early September from a reader who not only suffered from excessive sweating, but he also has puffy nipples and is looking for an undershirt that will help him with both. Here’s his email:

Hey Tug,

I have a very unique circumstance, which makes it VERY hard for me to find a good undershirt. The first is that I have man boobs and since they are not weight related, the nipples actually puff up so I need a undershirt that is slimming per se. Second I sweat quicker then most people, and when I do its ALOT (sweat will show on my second layer when I have a 100% cotton undershirt on) so there goes the choice of moisture-wicking. And lastly I need something thats practical for everyday use. Im only 17 years old so I cant afford spending $100 on a undershirt but $20 is more reasonable, since I would need a few for everday wear.

I absolutely love your website, and I read every single review and more on it but I cant pinpoint the perfect undershirt for me. Any recommendations?

Regards,
M

My response:

hey m,

I’ve been thinking about your situation and it’s a little tricky because we need to find a cost-effective solution for you. also, depending on how severe your puffy nipples are and where you sweat the most, we could go a couple different ways.

my first instinct is to recommend you to use a layered undershirt approach. for the first layer, I’d recommend a tight, light weight short sleeve compression top from walmart, target, or some other discount store which you should be able to get for around $10-$12 per shirt (or less on sale). this layer will serve a few purposes. first, the compression fit will help flatten your puffy nipples and will smoothen your chest so your man boobs are not so noticeable. second, it will offer an additional layer of sweat protection between your body and your overshirts/outerwear. lastly, most compression tops are made from a lightweight and thin polyester/spandex blend and if you find the right one, you won’t get warmer when wearing it (some actually make you feel cooler) and it will help you stay dry and comfortable since the fabric blend will help pull the moisture away from your skin and onto the second layer of undershirt where it can be absorbed.

for the second layer, I’d recommend wearing a standard 100% cotton undershirt, like the kirkland brand undershirts from costco. these undershirts are thick and comfortable and cost roughly $3 a piece which will be well within your limited budget. I would have recommended trying undershirts made out of fabrics that have more moisture absorbing characteristics like tencel or modal, but I haven’t found any undershirts made out of those materials that are affordably priced.

if you find this approach doesn’t give you the sweat protection you need, you might want to either try adding on some underarm shields, like the ones from kleinerts or possibly try replacing the costco undershirt with something a little more expensive that offers more sweat protection like the kleinerts mens’ v-neck sweatproof undershirt (with underarm protective shields sewn-in) which are around $23 a piece or the slightly more expensive ones from silverbackapparel.com.

let me know if you wind up trying the above approach and keep me posted how it works for you.

best,
tug