VerySweatyBetty.com

The third in our series of guest blogs from our forum members.  Today it’s from Vicki.

My Hyperhidrosis Story – Vicki
I’m Vicki – 29 and USED to be a sufferer of Palmar (hands), Plantar (feet) and Axillae (underarm) Hyperhidrosis but after having ETS surgery I am now a Generalised sufferer (every part of my stupid body). Here’s a shortened down Day in The Life of a Hyperhidrosis Sufferer. I hope you enjoy or find it an interesting read.

Oh god, its only 3am and not only is my face stuck to the pillow (and no it’s not slobber), but my back has drenched the sheet from the mounds of sweat. But oh no, its bad enough that the sheet is wet, but now it’s cold due to being so wet. My feet are hanging out in the ice cold to try and calm the sweating, my body is underneath the duvet to try and keep warm my hair is stuck to my face so I reach for a bobble and some grips to tie and grip it back…. finally after an hour, I drift back to sleep..

Alarm goes off at 6am, as per usual my entire body is soaked even though the room is freezing (I can’t win). Go to bathroom, have a wash etc etc. Go back to bedroom, start to apply make up to cover up my badskin due to sweating, not without my forehead and upper lip sweating making an unwelcome appearance, just in time to run my newly applied foundation….don’t know why i bother. The stress of this then starts the back of my knees off. Just standing here wanting to apply a bit of foundation causes the waterwork choas. So it goes on, my heart rate increases as I worry about the running of the tap on the back of my knees, so as not to be left out, my feet and armpits kick off! Yeah cheers for that BODY!!!

I rush to find some cotton socks/pop socks, tights….well anything to cover my feet up which have also joined in on the party. By this time, I have 10 minutes to get changed and let my dog out!

Phew, 7am set off for work. Seat Belt got stuck for a split second, so off started the armpits just to show their frustration….why, is beyond me! Not as if they can do anything about the seatbelt! Get to work, set up the nursery but as usual the water situation doesn’t like much movement, so off it all goes! Stand in kitchen and prepare the breakfast ensuring to keep drying my hands (that knife can get quite slippery in a wet hand)!

Oh no, a child wants to hold my hand…..quick quick hands are wet, think……decide to hold out the one finger and quickly sit down so not questions can be asked why 1. i put one finger out and 2. its wet!

Finish work, go to an appointment. As usual the quick transition from workplace to car transpires in an all over sweat. Calm down on the way. Get to appointment but as always the waiting room is roasting. Seriously I’m sure I’ve walked into a Sauna! Sit by the door to be able to get some fresh cold air. Woman complains about door being left open, whilst watching me dab tissue on my head and clench it in my hands.

Get home, stroke the dog but not without coming away looking like her as her hairs have stuck to my hands!! Start getting ready for a night out. Oh here goes, as soon as I want to apply make up the taps are turned on!!! Same old cycle just a different day! Make sure I find those tights!!! Get myself out but I dont know why I bother to have a nice fringe as I only spend most of the night with tissue stuck to my forehead (and I have pics to prove it)! Oh hang on, where are those grips I put in my bag in preparation for this happening!

It could be Summer or Winter but you will always find me in socks, tights or popsocks as they seem to be the only thing that will give the sweat a run for its money (on rare occasion). I shouldn’t have to cover my poor feet all day every day, 365 days of the year but if its the one and only small thing, which helps to calm my Hyperhidrosis, then that’s what i’ll have toi live with for the rest of my life. I’ll be glad when I’m a granny and its normal to wear pop socks all the time

What does underarm sweat have to do with armpit acne?

Armpits.

Not a topic for everyday casual conversation. More often than not, this part of our bodies is a cause of insecurity—despite what the deodorant commercials show, most of us probably wouldn’t dare lift our underarms into the air so unselfconsciously particularly on a hot day in public. It’s also a source of inconvenience for women, as most of our fashion choices (sleeveless, cap sleeves, or long sleeves?) end up hinging on the state of our armpits. Of all the body parts we possess, this is one of those parts that tend to make us stressed out in an already-stressed out life.

Maintaining the hygiene of our underarms is as important as maintaining the hygiene for the rest of our bodies, as it is of the most sensitive parts. But many of us, in the hastiest of our lifestyles, usually focus on only two grooming aspects—keeping our underarms hair-free (especially for women), and keeping them from smelling. So we shave, spray, and use roll-ons with abandon, but fail to realize that improper care can cause skin trouble to our armpits.

Armpit acne is caused by a myriad of things. Certain fabrics and underarm products can irritate the skin. Improper shaving can result in “razor bumps”. But most commonly, armpit acne is caused, like the pimples on our faces, by the clogging of the pores with oil and bacteria. When left untreated, armpit acne can worsen and turn into serious skin problems.

Damp armpits don’t just increase the chances of body odor, but also traps bacteria. Combined with dirt from the air and the oils our bodies naturally possess, the skin becomes inflamed and becomes a pimple. These pimples can become painful, and are often filled with pus.

Solutions to sweating

Inability to control underarm sweating when you’ve developed one of these can lead to the pimple sticking around for a very long time, as the sweat continues to feed bacteria into the wound. Thus, the sweat glands in your underarm may end up become inflamed and infected. To prevent this, it is important to always keep our armpits clean and dry by using powders, or by regularly wiping sweat away. Many people would opt for antiperspirants, but this can end up worsening things as antiperspirants themselves clog pores to keep sweat from coming out. Badly clogged armpits can result in the inflammation of the sweat glands causing abscesses, which are infections caused by staph bacteria and require medical attention in order to heal.

Damp armpits also cause skin rashes on hot, humid days. Known as heat rashes, these are red, itchy rashes caused by the heat and the material of your clothing. Sometimes, the rashes develop whiteheads. On such days, you’ll want to wear light, airy fabrics that enable the breeze to pass through your clothes easily, eliminating sweat and odor constantly. You also want to avoid shaving, as improper shaving can cause hair follicles to be trapped under the skin causing irritation.

Armpit acne can be treated by bathing thoroughly and regularly, using creams and soaps containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide that dry out pimples and pus. It is important to dry your underarms properly after showering to prevent dampness. Pimple creams created for facial use can be used safely on underarms. As these dry out even unaffected skin, always use a non-greasy moisturizing lotion afterwards. Cutting down on greasy food is also advisable in order to prevent overproduction of oil in our systems. When using deodorants, it’s best to go for a hypoallergenic one without fragrances that can further irritate the skin. When armpit acne is severe, though, do not hesitate to approach your dermatologist, who can provide prescription medicines suiting your current needs.

We don’t have to get to that point, though. Maintaining proper hygiene can keep us from developing armpit acne in the first place. Other additional tips for proper underarm care include exfoliating occasionally, using light scrubs in order to remove dead skin cells and lingering dirt. A regular routine of underarm hair removal through methods like waxing, plucking, or using depilatory creams is also advised in order to prevent BO. With a little effort and dedication, your underarms don’t have to be your enemy anymore.

Author bio:
Beth Coleman is a Gym Junkie, a Vegan, she never eats meet and the likes. She also has a passion in cooking and formulating vegan recipes.Follow her adventures on her Twitter.

The second in the series of guest blogs from our forum members.

Stephanie NS

I’ve been looking through your stories and some made me laugh or wanna cry because I’ve been going through the same stuff for years. It can be so humiliating at times… the face shiny with sweat, clothes darkened with sweat patches, wet spots when you stand up, etc… I can honestly say one moment of total horror turned into something funny (though it’s hard to admit to anyone that though I’m laughing I’m super ashamed).. It happened during my wedding last summer. I was dreading being in front of people with HH making me look awful, but I just sucked it up and did my best. I can’t wear much make up because I’d just sweat it off so I just washed my face put on some eye-liner and lip balm and a little aloe vera gel that was supposed to keep my skin cool. No coffee or food before the ceremony because that can trigger a flood for me. It wasn’t super hot that morning and for that I was thankful. On the way to city hall I made sure the air-con was turned up high in the car and I took deep breaths and cleared my mind to calm down.

Everything was going great until I sat down in the wedding room next to my fiancé, within 5 minutes I could feel it starting. Slowly my nose and forehead started getting wetter and wetter, I had no hanky or anything. Just my bouquet and fiancé (neither of which wipe up sweat so good). Since I was a distance from the guests I just tried to inconspicuously use my finger tips in what I was praying looked like me fixing my hair or scratching or something of the sort. But it didn’t stop in spite of the room being air conditioned. I whispered to my fiancé asking if he had a hanky. But no, he didn’t… And then because obviously they noticed me wiping, my brother in law stood up and offered me his hanky. I could have died of shame! I took it gratefully and dabbed at my nose first and then my forehead though I really just wanted to wipe my whole face back and forth (I wonder how that would have looked in the video!). And then here is where it got weird for me, the lady officiating our wedding got me a whole box of tissues and said it was ok for me to cry and I quote “it’s ok, you can cry a river because it’s your big day”.

It took a moment to hit me then I realised that the way I was wiping the sweat off my nose looked like I was wiping tears from my eyes so everyone thought I was crying.lol I guess that’s better than them thinking what an icky sweaty bride I was. Not to mention that even if they said it I wouldn’t have understood because I got married in the Netherlands to a Dutchman and most of his family speak only Dutch. The ceremony was bilingual because my Dutch isn’t so good yet. So I worried that if they commented about the sweat it would go right over my head. And in the wedding video it really does look like I’m wiping off tears. Only my husband knew what was up. At some point during the ceremony my face didn’t sweat so much but my hands just got worse and very cold and I started worrying about standing up and having my silk ivory dress a shade darker around my behind, my husband must have seen my worry because he took my hand, sweat and all and said it would be ok. It was ok (no wet butt) after the ceremony when I shook hands with lots of people starting with the official she commented that my hands were freezing and maybe they should have turned the air-con down (I was thinking hell no, I’ll melt!).

HH has embarrassed me for most of my life and it almost ruined my wedding day (I was seriously contemplating taking a break in the middle of my vows to get cool and dry… how would that have looked?lol) but thank God for people thinking I was crying instead because now that it’s in the past I can laugh at it and not feel super bad. I’d like to say that after that day I got over the fear of being in front of people even with my HH but honestly, HH still controls a lot of stuff in my life, from where I sit in a room to if I go out to parties or talk to people or shake hands. When I was younger I used to be so confident, talking to a room full of people or being the centre of attention wasn’t a big deal, but since the HH started and has progressively gotten worse I’m too ashamed to do things that involve other people looking at me. I feel like it’s robbing me of control over my life. Do you guys feel the same sometimes?

Sorry for the super long post but I was just dying to vent for the first time in my life to people who know just how much this sucks.

This is the first in our series of guest blogs from our forum members.

My Hyperhidrosis Story – Karen

A few years ago I knew something was wrong. I was sweating all the time, even if it was cold or snowing. Later I found out that I had groin hyperhidrosis. I went to my primary doctor and I got the “deer in the headlights” look because he had no idea what to do with me. I went to my gynecologist (because I had no idea to go to a dermatologist because of the location of my sweating), he tried to help but had never deal with it before. It has gotten worse and worse since it started.

Since I have no insurance, before I really found out about what treatments there are out there, I have (and still do) gone as far as to use a long kitchen towel as sort of a “sweat diaper” so my clothes do not get soaked. I only wear black shorts (which makes my husband VERY angry) and dark colored clothing to work.

As you can imagine, this is very hard to deal with, and my severe depression has definitely gotten worse. I have had Botox treatment 4 different times and that has not helped. I am currently on Oxybutnin but cannot see a real difference.

I am using Drioff gel which is helping a little. I want to find out what the “miracle drug” is going to stop this altogether. What did I do to deserve this? I have many other pre-existing conditions, I don’t want to deal with this one too.

Karen

I posted this a week or so ago and it still stands, volunteers are needed for the below study – a new treatment for axillary hyperhidrosis. Do look into it to see if you may be eligible, it may just be an answer to your sweating. Do remember to ask questions, for example Compensatory Sweating.

If this is for you and you have the procedure done, please let us know your story, as ever, this will help other people.

Don’t forget, everything you say to us is anonymous automatically, unless you give express permission for us to use your name.

______________________________________

Research Study Using a Radiofrequency (RF) Device to Treat Excessive Underarm Sweating

Volunteers are needed to participate in a research study that utilizes a non-invasive radiofrequency (RF) device to treat excessive underarm sweating.

Eligible participants must be male or female between the ages of 20 and 65 years of age, must be in good health, and must not be pregnant.

The Study consists of one to two treatments and three additional follow-up visits and lasts approximately 7 months.

Treatment will be provided at no charge.

For more information on the Study,
please contact Dennell Krzyzanowski at (510) 780-4680

Recently there has been a spate of vicious internet trolling and all sorts of rubbish about both Very Sweaty Betty and myself.

I understand there are rumours from a hyperhidrosis society that both Anne and I are millionaires and scamming people. I’d like to know how we are supposed to have done all that, considering nobody gives us any money except our sponsors who help to keep these pages on the internet. Anne and myself (and all VSB staff) have always given our time and expertise for free and it’s only during the last 18 months that we’ve been able to gain sponsorship that means we’re no longer funding the site through our own pockets.  Even though we are now lucky enough to have sponsorship, we still give our time time and knowledge as before – for free.  Every penny of our sponsorship is 100% for raising awareness of this disease and always will be.

As a final note, I live in the tiniest house you’ve ever seen. Everything I do is as and when I can due to over 35 different and debilitating health diagnoses. I ‘do’ VSB to keep me sane and have something to focus my brain on. If I had a million pounds I would be getting someone to mow the lawn and tidy up my garden as it’s a proper mess right now!

The other trolling is to me and comes from twitter. The person who’s been doing this found out I’m linked with VSB and has thought it very funny to ‘out’ me as being a ‘self confessed stinker pmsl’ because I disagreed with him on a topic. True to troll form, he has at least a dozen accounts to troll/terrorise people on, you only have to look at VSB’s twitter account to see this vile persons disgusting rubbish. I’ve removed my account (life’s too short to consort with people like that) but apparently there’s a poster, a placard and booklet of tweets that he disagrees with, on it’s way to the media – presumably The Sun newspaper on their ‘out a troll’ vigilante campaign. No, I’m not a troll but I understand classic troll behaviour is to call everyone else a troll when they disagree.

This has been bothering me for days, I feel a bit better now I’ve got it off my chest

Troll website – what they are and what we can do about trolls.

Stay safe and don’t feed the trolls xx