VerySweatyBetty.com

Hi everyone, we have another guest blog but this time it’s something a little different.  One of our lovely forum members has written his own personal account of how he copes with Hyperhidrosis at the same time as following his passions.  There’s a couple of videos too, this guy is super-talented!

We’re really proud of you and all you have managed to achieve Allan, you’re an inspiration to us all.

Hyperhidrosis and following your dreams (link to full article and videos – opens in new window)

I’m a 23 year old guy from India.  I have palmar Hyperhidrosis and suffered with it for many years.

I’m into dance and magic, entertaining people is my passion, especially when I’m able to engage with my audience on a personal level.  Of course, having sweaty hands is so annoying when it comes to performing magic.  I thought I should learn to live with it.  I used to carry a hanky to wipe my sweat whenever I performed magic.

After learning about iontophoresis from the net, *I constructed my own ionto machine.  I patiently experimented with it and got my results.  I didn’t lose my hope on socializing just because I had a sweaty palms.  I tried my best to find solutions and now that feels so amazing.

Now I’m better at socializing and performing magic.  Being in a country like India, which is still a developing country, I feel good that I learnt all this on my own efforts.  I have never had lessons for dance or magic, I’m completely self-taught.

Apart from all this, I’m also a student of Animation.  The iontophoresis has made all of this possible for me.

* Click here for instructions on how to make your own Iontophoresis machine

Link to forum – complete article and videos

Every day is different for every one of us.  Now the leaves on the trees are beginning to turn brown here in the UK, the weather is also on the change.  Whilst the majority mourns the long hot days, the average Hyperhidrosis sufferer is infinitely relived that Summer is over – in the European corner of the world, that is.  Whilst Europe is becoming cooler by the day, the opposite side of the world is gearing up for Spring and Summer.

What is your coping strategy? Have you decided to try anything different this year? It’s always a good idea to be prepared – do a little research into what is new in the world of Hyperhidrosis (or just log in to VSB and see what we’ve found for you!) and have a plan in mind. If you are ready for the heat in advance then it will take a lot of stress out of many situations.

The lead up to Summer leaves us with a horrible feeling, you feel down and dread the heat and humidity. I usually start considering my coping strategies (or should that read ‘become obsessed’ with my coping strategies?!) well in advance. I plan it all out in my head with military precision to make sure I have the provisions in so I don’t need to make any ‘unnecessary’ trips to the shops…

Click here to read more (includes products and links)…

There are all sorts of ways you can become involved with taking control of your Hyperhidrosis, Anne found this today:

Take a look at what I stumbled upon today, makes a great read.

I am glad this is taking place.

http://verysweatybetty.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1120

www.verysweatybetty.com

www.coolwrapps.com

Wonderful news, thanks to Beverly for her hard work and dedication to raising awareness on this disease.

http://www.verysweatybetty.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1107

www.verysweatybetty.com

www.coolwrapps.com

I talked about this few weeks ago and can’t stress it enough.

http://verysweatybetty.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1086

www.verysweatybetty.com

www.coolwrapps.com

Hello all,

Have been chatting with a new member and her insight to what may be helping her HH!

Please read and let me know if any of you have tried this?

http://verysweatybetty.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1094&p=4609#p4609

www.verysweatybetty.com

www.coolwrapps.com

I have been so down in the dumps the last few weeks since returning back from my trip home in England.  I have not been there in almost 10 years and growing up in a small South East Village as a child I could not wait to leave.

However now being in my late 30′s I see England in a whole different way.  While home I enjoyed the cooler weather and cooler evenings, the humidity got to me a few days but nothing like living here in South Texas USA.  How I long for cooler pastures which one day will be, but for now I have to make the most of what I have and the daily battle with HPYERHIDROSIS.

Most days  I wake up wet!   My head, neck, chest and back will be sweaty, I have a ceiling fan constantly blowing and two stationary fans in the bedroom blowing on me!  I know the experts say you don’t sweat at night but I know I do and there is a condition called SLEEP HYPERHIDROSIS.   I may be already going through the beginning of MENOPAUSE which can make sweating worse night or day?   I find that when it’s that awful time again my sweating gets worse.  I think hormones are to blame for the added heat and sweat each month.

Beverly swears by the CHILLOW ( pillow), you can find these in our VSB SHOP.  I am thinking of investing in one as she claims they keep your head cool and she is sweat free.

I then help the girls get ready for school and drink an iced coffee!   I can no longer drink HOT drinks, these speed me up and I just pour of sweat!!   I am just miserable regardless if I’m in air conditioned or outside.

After seeing my girls off to school I start cleaning up, may be a quick sweep, dust, clean bathrooms the normal daily chores and after about 20 min into this I will start dripping from the back of my head, (hairline) then the sweat moves down my chest, armpits, groin, and feet will be soaked.  I also suffer with facial and chest blushing, looks like I have been out in the sun all day!

The things we face daily, it can cripple our EMOTIONS, SELF CONFIDENCE AND SELF ESTEEM,  regardless if your a Male or Female.
After the fight of my morning sweat I then take a cooler shower.  This sets my body into spastic mode and I sweat for about another 30-45+ minutes.  I have to cool myself down even before I think of makeup and hair.  I also take a fan into the bathroom with me just to keep me cooler while applying makeup.   Do you find that shampoos, body washes, creams, lotions make you sweat more too?

Being a WOMAN can be a night mare living with HH, as I said it takes me 45+ minutes to cool down before applying any facial creams or makeup.  When I am applying cream, this will also set me off and my face will start sweating!  Makes applying makeup impossible!

I found a solution to this, my good friend at Klima sent me his new product, www.klimadeodorant.com  The product is called Facade and you apply it once a day for the first week,  (follow instructions there after) and let it dry and after about 2 weeks I started to notice a reduction in my under eye sweating, nose and lip!  Making applying daily makeup easier.

Another thing I noticed was how this product was making my skin feel so smooth and silky.  I also noticed it was helping me with my mild acne and open pores.  Then after a few weeks I  noticed I had less visible wrinkles

This product is wonderful and recommend it to anyone who has facial sweating.  It is aluminum free and very gentle on your face, not like the abrasive prescription products that burn and irritate  your skin.  I have not applied this product to my forehead yet as I had Facial and cranial Botox last June, once it wears off I will be using it.

Also I am excited for my Daughter who has been using  Klima Facade on her face, remember it is Aluminum Free so no chemicals being used on someone so young, (13)   She noticed after 1 week it was reducing her sweat and after 3 weeks her facial sweating had been reduced by 70%  Another advantage to this great product was it cleared up her acne.  She was so happy one day and lifted her bangs up and said, “Look, my Zits are going!”  I was so happy and said it was probably the Facade that dried them up.

So now I have my makeup on and styling my hair.  I then proceed into my wardrobe and stare at my CLOTHING, what to wear?   I have to think of what the HUMIDITY and HEAT are  going to be?

On a normal day it is HOT here regardless.!  Most of my wardrobe consists of black and patterned clothing.  It hides a multitude of sins, SWEATING being one of them.  I longed to wear colours instead of patterns or dark or black as my AUXILIARY (armpit sweating) was just so bad.  I would leave small plate size rings around my armpits, showing through my CLOTHING and EMBARRASSING me, I also left SALT  lines on my darker clothing and shoes.

I have been trying klima products for this too and have seen remarkable results!  I have been using Hyper Dri another Aluminum Free product in the evening and Bone Dri in the day to keep me sweat free and smelling clean.  I used these a few weeks before I went to the UK and while I was in the UK and I did not have an embarrassing problem with sweat marks or salt marks.

I also used their sure foot spray  as I tend to ruin shoes, flip flops and slippers on a regular basics, also I tend to have smelly feet from the bacteria.  This spray worked really well and you can shower and not have to worry about reapplying it.  It did make my feet dry at first but with a good moisturizer you can avoid this.  I am able to wear flip flops and not have to worry about ruining them or the smelly bacteria.

After choosing an outfit to wear and finally cooling down I will work on VSB or go out with girl friends and family.  I tend to avoid being out in the heat any time I can.  I go from an AC van to an AC store.

How we miss the little things in life living with this.  I’d love to go for a walk, picnic but can’t in this constant heat.  I long for the few weeks of winter here in South Texas.  I feel normal for a while and can enjoy the outdoors.

Once kids are home I then cook dinner, this alone makes me sweaty!  I tend to bring one of my fans and have that blowing on me.  I have to fight for this with my brown poodle, Yogi who suffers too   Who said pets don’t suffer, he takes over the fan and ears are flapping.

I find that after eating within minutes I start sweating again, this is caused by GUSTATORY sweating, spices, heat, foods that you digest.

Are we really ever FREE from SWEATING?  If you look at your every day life?  I know I’m not.

How do we balance life and find happiness living with HYPERHIDROSIS?

We can help you find BALANCE, HAPPINESS, SUPPORT and FRIENDSHIP, right here at VSB, our members make it happen.  We are an independent, non-profit organization.  All of us are volunteers and all suffer from Hyperhidrosis.

All these products I have spoken about you can find these products at www.klimadeodorant.com   They offer a free consultation to helping YOU find the right product for YOUR Hyperhidrosis.

So maybe we can find balance and happiness.

Hope to see you in the forum.

hugs and sweat happens, try not to let it take over you life.

“Anne

www.verysweatybetty.com

Hyperhidrosis is a condition that causes excessive sweating. While hyperhidrosis does not pose a serious threat to health, it can cause significant emotional and psychological distress, embarrassment and can have a negative impact on a person’s quality of life.

Types of hyperhidrosis

There are two types of hyperhidrosis:

* focal hyperhidrosis, where only certain parts of the body are affected, such as the armpits, hands, feet or face, and
* generalised hyperhidrosis, where the entire body is affected.

Hyperhidrosis can also be either:

* primary idiopathic hyperhidrosis, where there is no apparent cause for the excessive sweating, and
* secondary hyperhidrosis, where the excessive sweating is the result of an underlying health condition, such as an overactive thyroid gland.

Most cases of focal hyperhidrosis are primary. Generalised hyperhidrosis is usually secondary.

How common is hyperhidrosis?

Hyperhidrosis is fairly common. An estimated 3% of people in England (1.53 million) are affected.

Primary hyperhidrosis typically begins during the teenage years or early adulthood (between 20 and 25). It affects men and women equally.

Secondary hyperhidrosis can begin at any age and depends on the underlying health condition.

Outlook

Perhaps the biggest challenge in treating hyperhidrosis is that so many people are reluctant to seek medical advice, either because of embarrassment or a mistaken belief that nothing can be done to improve their symptoms.

However, the outlook for hyperhidrosis is good and there is a range of different treatments that have proved effective in controlling symptoms.
Hyperhidrosis is a condition that causes excessive sweating. While hyperhidrosis does not pose a serious threat to health, it can cause significant emotional and psychological distress, embarrassment and can have a negative impact on a person’s quality of life.

Types of hyperhidrosis

There are two types of hyperhidrosis:

* focal hyperhidrosis, where only certain parts of the body are affected, such as the armpits, hands, feet or face, and
* generalised hyperhidrosis, where the entire body is affected.

Hyperhidrosis can also be either:

* primary idiopathic hyperhidrosis, where there is no apparent cause for the excessive sweating, and
* secondary hyperhidrosis, where the excessive sweating is the result of an underlying health condition, such as an overactive thyroid gland.

Most cases of focal hyperhidrosis are primary. Generalised hyperhidrosis is usually secondary.
How common is hyperhidrosis?

Hyperhidrosis is fairly common. An estimated 3% of people in England (1.53 million) are affected.

Primary hyperhidrosis typically begins during the teenage years or early adulthood (between 20 and 25). It affects men and women equally.

Secondary hyperhidrosis can begin at any age and depends on the underlying health condition.

Outlook

Perhaps the biggest challenge in treating hyperhidrosis is that so many people are reluctant to seek medical advice, either because of embarrassment or a mistaken belief that nothing can be done to improve their symptoms.

However, the outlook for hyperhidrosis is good and there is a range of different treatments that have proved effective in controlling symptoms.

Want to read more?

Please see more here and note the end comment from the NHS doctor…

Hyperhidrosis is a skin disease.  It can be generalised or localised to specific parts of the body.  Hands, feet, armpits, and the groin area are among the most active regions of perspiration due to the relatively high concentration of sweat glands; however, any part of the body may be affected.

Hyperhidrosis can also be classified depending on whether it is a congenital (hereditary) or an acquired trait.  Primary hyperhidrosis is found to start during adolescence or even before and seems to be inherited as a genetic trait.  Primary hyperhidrosis must be distinguished from secondary hyperhidrosis, which can start at any point in life.  The latter form may be due to a disorder of the thyroid or pituitary gland, diabetes mellitus, tumors, gout, menopause, certain drugs or mercury poisoning.  It can be a symptom  of temporary illnesses like colds and ‘flu or hormonal changes such as periods or menopause.  Hyperhidrosis can also be divided into Palmar/Plantar (symptomatic sweating of primarily the hands or feet), Axilliary (armpit sweating), Facial/Cranial (sweating from the face/head region), Gustatory (sweating whilst eating/digesting a meal) or generalised hyperhidrosis which covers sweating from any other area in your body.

Everybody sweats, it’s a normal function which serves to cool us down so we don’t overheat.  Hyperhidrosis is caused by an overactive (ie broken) thermal regulator (the bodies thermostat).  In the simplest terms, in a Hyperhidrotic’s body, their thermostatic control is stuck on the hottest setting.

A medical diagnosis should always be sought, but if you sweat to an excessive level, there are now many ways of dealing with it.

About Sweaty Betty.
We are a small group of normal people who just happen to sweat a lot.  We’re not alone – millions of people worldwide suffer from this acutely embarrassing  and socially isolating condition, but, because of the negativity and misconceptions surrounding sweating and being sweaty, they attempt to keep it to themselves and suffer in silence.  As with all taboo issues, it only takes a few like-minded people to get together to blow a taboo wide apart and tell it how it really is.  Hence www.verysweatybetty.com was born.

We are committed to raising awareness of Hyperhidrosis and dispel the stigma and ignorance surrounding sweat and sweating.

Don’t allow your sweat glands to control your life any longer, please join us and find out how you can take control and start living your life again.

Our links:
www.youtube.com/verysweatybetty
www.twitter.com/verysweatybetty
www.facebook.com/betty.sweaty

Hi Member,

I read your story and I am saddened that your Dr was not more sympathetic with you, took me 11 years to find a good Dermatologist who knew what he was talking about. Most of us suffer the same, frustration and negativity on this disease.

You said your sweating started about a year ago?   If you don’t mind me asking you a few questions. How old are you? Have you gone through a lot of stress anxiety of late?  Do you live in hot temps or high humidity?

Has your GP done any underlying tests on you yet?   These are to test that there are no underlying medical mysteries. Should have had blood tested and urine (24hr test) This will test for hormone levels and proteins in your blood or to show any underlying disease.

Do you know of any other relatives suffering with sweating?   It may be hidden and most families will not admit to it or tell you that they suffer.   It can also come from a few generations ago. Most times it runs in families.

Have you started any new medications in the last year?   A lot of time members are not aware of the side effects that new medications can bring, some of them are excessive sweating and blushing. Not a good combination if you already sweat.

What to ask your Dermatologist,

Ask for tests to be run,  blood and urine to determine it is not underlying (secondary).

Ask him about oral meds, these work well for your sweating (Some of the more popular ones are Robinul, Ditropan, Detrol (may be Oxybutrin there).  These drugs are used for over active bladder disorder but one of the side effects is less sweating.   Also they come with some side effects, blurred vision, dryness and cotton mouth.

Iontophoresis recommended,
(For hands & feet, also underarms and trunk area, (not a great treatment for Truncal HH)

This involves placing the hands and/or feet into shallow trays filled with water, while a small electrical current is passed into metal plates and the water, talk about this treatment with your Dr.

Patients said after 5-10 initial treatments, dryness was reported to  last up to 3 weeks in applied areas, wonderful news.

Here are a few of the machines avail ( idrostar, i2ma, iomax 4, Drionic, idromed 4 and Iontex)  Enable the armpits to be treated and the trunk, buttocks,  however have not had great reviews on buttocks or compensatory sweating caused by ETS)

The maintenance  of  your machine,  talk to your Dr about how your machine works and clean weekly or monthly as required.   Some members saw less or no sweating in a matter of a week.   This was reported to last one to two weeks, if you do not follow instructions your sweating could return quickly!  Maintenance therapy is so important.  Follow all instruction from your Dr, (most) will have you do the first few sessions in the surgery so you fully understand this treatment.

**Very important to talk to your Dermatologist or Dr about this treatment option.   Make sure you understand this treatment and how it works **   Very successful with members across the globe.

Also there are new products avail on the market now.   Klima have a Aluminum free product(s) which do not burn at all. klimadeodorant.com

Also have you ever tired under arm guards?
These are very effective.

What I was stressing to a NEW MEMBER is the importance of knowing your HH, is it Primary or Secondary.  Also finding a good Dr or Dermatologist  is crucial in your well being and coping with your HH.

**We at VSB have all the advise and tools you need to gather this info to ask.  Don’t deal with this alone, there are treatments and Doctors who understand this disease**

~Anne~