One-Step Iodine Starch Method for Direct Visualization of Sweating

Despite recent progress in eccrine sweat gland physiology, simple, safe and reliable methods of visualizing local and generalized sweating are not available for clinicians and physiologists. We developed a simple one-step method for visualizing sweating that requires only soluble starch previously treated with iodine. When the powder is sprayed on the skin, sweat droplets are visualized as discrete dark purple dots. Since visualized dots are easily wiped off without staining the skin, sweating patterns can be obtained consecutively on the same skin site. The method is far superior to the classical Minor’s method and is useful for clinical diagnosis of disorders of sweating and for visualization of the total body sweating for physiological studies. Two simple devices for spraying powder also have been presented.