It’s a natural fact of life. We sweat. And it seems that some of us, unfortunately, do so more than others.

But don’t worry, Sweaty Betty,  it’s not your fault. It seems the conditions you spent your early childhood in are to blame. Dr. Laure Rittié, a researcher in dermatology at the University of Michigan spoke to NY Mag about why some people perspire more than others. “We think this is because of the following interesting fact. Everyone is born with virtually the same number of sweat glands, but sweat glands mature during the first 2 years of life. Not all sweat glands become able to produce sweat (it depends on the need during that time). So people who grew up in warm climates tend to have more active sweat glands than people who grew up in a climate-controlled environment or in cold climates. As adults, we keep all our sweat glands but only a portion of them are able to produce sweat. This percentage varies between individuals” she said. According to Rittié, there are no genetic factors as to why someone may sweat more than others so it does come down pretty much solely to the environmental conditions of your first two years. As parts of the developed world are so obsessed with climate control the actual country you grew up in has little bearing. So if your parents wrapped you up tight in dozen blankets in front of the fire, you probably have them to blame.