VerySweatyBetty.com

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How Compensatory Sweating works:

The current train of thought is that our own inbuilt thermometer is faulty. This is called the Hypothalamus and it’s tucked away in the brain. This is what causes us to overheat. When the body’s temperature rises by 4 degrees C, we become disorientated and confused. By the time we reach 7 degrees C, we’d be dead. Because the body is such an amazing feat of natural engineering, we have an inbuilt sprinkler system to prevent us from overheating and to keep us alive. This is where the sweating comes from. When you block off any area of sweating, that’s all you’re doing. You’re not cooling yourself down. As you’re still hot, you’ll still be sweating until you cool down, it’s just that the sweat will appear in other areas and it’ll take longer to cool down as your sweating is limited. Blocking sweat is not the best way of dealing with it, although we all need to block in the odd area or two – ie underarms etc. It’s always a far better idea to soak up and disguise sweat than to block it.

CS as a result of ETS and Generalised Hyperhidrosis:

The main places ETS people suffer is down their back, torso, groin and legs. I would suggest products like laulas undershirts and polo shirts, www.sweat-help.com and Wrapps www.coolwrapps.com. Both of these products will deal with soaking up sweat by clever use of fabrics. I use both products and they certainly make life easier for me. Wrapps are also increasingly used by sportsmen and women, musicians etc as well as HH sufferers.

Please feel free to visit the site and dive into the forum conversations – or even just keep an eye out for competitions (we get to give away lots of free products) and hints and tips on disguising and dealing with your sweating.

By our very own Denise, Following her, Help Wanted….
For the Record,

If any of you have read my last post, and thought I might be implying that Hyperhidrosis does not compare to scleroderma and we have no right to complain, that was not what I was trying to say, not at all.

My point is that Michele Mayer was a highly educated woman, her husband is in fact a physician, Moreover Michele was highly respected in the medical community, could speak the lingo, knew what she had and it still took 6 years to get a proper diagnosis. In that 6 years she was aware of what medications, procedures and protocols were available to treat the early stages of her disease.

Yet, because of her inability to get a proper diagnosis, all of these avenues were closed to her. We will never know if she could still be alive today, had she been diagnosed in a timely matter. Moreover, Michele had done her research and frequently went head to head with the doctors, who repeatedly tried to prescribe outdated medications, that had been shown to be wholly ineffective, while fighting her requests for another. Albeit, the truth is there is very little to help people suffering with Scleroderma. As her skin turned into a shell like structure, her vital and unseen organs were doing the same. This disease is a killer, very little is known how to treat it, and it is a death sentence. It may be 3 years it may be 5 years, but with the passing of each year, reduced mobility is a given as ones internal organs turn to stone.

Yet, Michele worked on her own memorial, did what she could with her children, and wrote about her life, her doctors, her friends, family, as the disease slowly turned every breath into a struggle. She had to fight the medical community every step of the way, as the disease continued to turn her internal organs into stone.

How do we proceed?   Does any of us hold a Doctorate in Public Health? How do we proceed to get the attention of the medical community? How do we proceed? I continue to write letters, and be ignored.   I sent a letter to a doctor here in town, he is mentioned in one of Suzanne Somers books as a surgeon who turned away from surgeries for excessive sweating to a more natural remedy. NOTHING, no response.

What should we do to be heard?

Help us fight to be heard, fight with us to be treated for our medical disease/disorder.  We deserve this.  Write you story on living with Hyperhidrosis, we are still in the, Dark Ages and will continue to be if we don’t stand our ground and help raise awareness.  You can send your story to Anne, Beverly, Denise, kimberly in our friendly forum, we can keep it all confidential but our little voices, can make one BIG ONE.  So please help.

Denise

If you have problems with groin sweating, please visit Denise’s website www.coolwrapps.com

One of our members Al brought this to my attention, and we thank you for this.

However, as she said, “was my ETS in vain after reading this?”  She suffers badly from many complications from this surgery he whole life has changed since that dreadful day!  

It makes me think will this change how the world see’s excessive sweating caused by Hyperhidrosis or is it just another flash in the pan and a fashionable trend?
We are going to open up a debate about this and would love your thoughts on this.  Would you take this pill and want to smell like Roses or flowers?    I guess you can choose a sent, could it be as simple as this?  It is not the miracle we were hoping for on the Sweat Front!  Will that pill ever be available for us to remain dry without using one for a different medical problem but have the nasty side effects that go along with them??? 
We have to keep the dream alive and  here at VSB  we are on a mission to help raise awareness, join our Hyperhidrosis Awareness Campaign. 
Thoughts on this please and lets get this debate going, join us in the forum or on our FB page, Sweaty Betty.

Copied from ABC News, to read more please visit their site.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/pill-future-turn-sweat-perfume/story?id=14819832

Those sweat stains could be the equivalent to a spritz of cologne if Lucy McRae’s research pans out.

McRae, an artist based in the Netherlands, hopes to create Swallowable Parfum, a perfume that can be ingested through a capsule and emitted through perspiration.

The pill is still in the research phase with no scheduled release date as McRae works with synthetic researcher, Sheref Mansy, to develop a prototype.

“My main aim is to provoke and make people think in a completely different way about how make-up can be [used] in the future,” said McRae.

The 31-year-old was inspired to develop the line after watching a documentary on Ray Kurzweil, a computer engineer who won the National Medal of Technology and who has written numerous books about how machines will shape the future.

Swallowable Parfum

Lucy McRae is developing pill that turns… View Full Size

George Preti, a scientist at the Monell Center which specializes in taste and smell, says pills that claim to change body odor similar to Swallowable Parfum are often not effective due to the body’s digestion process.

“How much of what they do that will make it through the digestive process and [into] the blood remains to be seen,” said Preti. “A lot of things will get taken apart in the acid in the stomach.”

Since taking a daily dose of perfume isn’t yet possible, McRae is staying with her scent of choice, Mona Di Orio, applied with a traditional spritz.

McRae’s Swallowable Parfum is the latest in a trend of cosmetic companies attempting to reduce beauty regimens to pill form. In recent years companies such as Heliocare and Murad have released pills that claim to provide sun protection. However these pills do not provide the same protection as traditional sunblock.

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Meeting someone new is always a big thing, no matter who you are. Sometimes, even meeting people you already know can be nothing short of a nightmare, especially if you suffer with Hyperhidrosis. In fact, when you have an embarrassing illness, the stress involved in meeting anyone new for the first time can be enough to put you right off. I don’t have to point out that meeting a new potential partner is one of the biggest things you’ll ever do, this could be the person you spend the rest of your life with.

This subject has come up a few times lately. It seems love is quite possibly in the air! Some of our members have recently mentioned a potential new romance on the horizon. I think it’s probably got something to do with the cooler weather, it seems to go a long way to make us feel better about ourselves. Summer is incredibly stressful and we pretty much live to get through it as intact as we possibly can. It’s always a huge relief when September arrives, we know there’s around six months before we start hotting up again.

With all that pressure on you, one of the first things that will go through your mind (especially in the warmer weather) is your Hyperhidrosis. Will you sweat when you’re on a date? When should you tell the other person? What would you tell the other person? How will they deal with it?

Well, I can’t really answer the final question because the truth is, it’s not for everyone. The chances are that you probably have an 90/10 chance they will be fine with it. Most people won’t have a problem with it. Before my HH kicked in really badly, it used to come and go. When it went, I’d not give it a second thought. During one of the ‘dry’ times, for a few weeks/months I had a boyfriend who suffered with it. We’d hold hands, I’d wipe mine down my jeans when we stopped holding hands. It didn’t occur to me to mind. I vaguely remember ‘the conversation’ we had about it, I’m sure it went something like “why are you hands always wet?”. Him: shrugged “I dunno”. Me: “oh”. And that was that. There are some who can’t deal with it, but that’s life, it’s nobody’s fault. We need to see it for what it is, honesty. It’s one of those ‘take it on the chin’ things. Chances are, with those odds, you may not even have to deal with a moment like that. Even if you do, you’re not alone. But, when do you mention it, and how?

Timewise, there are two ways of doing this. You can either be up front and lay your cards on the table. The advantages are that if the person does have a problem with it, you can walk away from the person without having spent the time fretting about how they’d take it – and maybe even getting to like them. The only real disadvantage is that at this point in your relationship, they don’t know you. This would immediately put you at a disadvantage and maybe even give the sweating a chance to dictate the outcome rather than you being in control. The person might get the impression that it’s a big thing in your life – and if they think you see it as a problem, then you’re taking the chance that they will, too.

The other option is to take it as it comes. I call this the ‘mermaid/merman’ technique. You can call it what you like, but if someone asks you why you have wet hair or wet hands, it helps me to give it a ‘nice’ name. Just the word ‘Hyperhidrosis’ sounds depressing to me. Replying with “Oh, that! I’m a mermaid!” sounds more confident and less like I have a problem – and doesn’t bring the mood down. There’s only so much you need to tell anyone and it’s just another ice-breaker. Only say what you’re comfortable with.

I’ve tried both ways and I’m more comfortable with the this technique. The advantages are – you’ve come to like each other and they might see past the sweating side of things a little easier because they have had a bit of time to get to know you. You’re also not imparting that it’s a disproportionate issue for you. Even if it feels it sometimes is, things do change. There are new products coming on the market on an almost weekly basis. Scientists are currently looking into isolating the faulty gene that causes this – once they’ve done that, chances are it’s a matter of time before they can work out an effective treatment or maybe even a cure. You can’t rely on a cure though, you still need to be realistic. It would be an amazing bonus if it happens.

As for when the time is right, well, that’s completely down to you. You’ll have got to know the person a bit better by this time, even if it is only three or four dates in, you’ll know you like each other by now, so it’s just a case of picking your moment. Waiting for the topic to come up naturally can often be the best way. It will tell them that you have the confidence to deal with it and you don’t let it dictate to you. Obviously as time goes on, they’ll get to know how it really is for you. Whatever you do, do it with confidence. You know what they (I always wonder who ‘they’ are) the more confident you pretend to be, the more confident you’ll feel. That is one of the biggest attractions we could offer a potential new partner. You are you, your HH is just ‘something that happens’ to you that you have little control over. Don’t let it sabotage the good stuff.

I decided to split the blog from the testimonials to make everything easier to find.

Hydrosal website (US)
Hydrosal website (Canada)

Hydrosal customer testimonials
Forum link blog
Forum link testimonials

“Hi, I’m from Australia and I would like to say, I would pay whatever dollar to fix up my sweaty arm pit problem, and then I came across Hydrosal!. I just would like to say there is no other product that works as good as this. and I have tried every single product out there and this is by far the best! I will keep using this product until I stop having this problem. Thanks, Jason ”

Jason
“I would like to bring to your attention, that I have tried the product that my doctor has recommended Hydrosal. For the pass thirty years I suffered in complete embarrassment, severe sweating from the forehead, and other body areas.
This sweating was triggered by nervousness on my confrontation of an individual that I met, or dealt with on first time basis.
The more I realized I was sweating, the more severe it became. It was devastating for me, and I spoke to many doctors with really no feed back from them. Meeting Dr Benohanian was for me a miracle; Life has given me a second chance. Hydrosal is amazing and very easy to apply with almost 90 to 95 % effective rate for me. Keep up the good work and create more beneficial products like Hydrosal!! Thanks again. ”

Allan
“Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I have suffered from excessive sweating as long as I can remember…..the last 10 years specifically, have been the worst. I was ready to have surgery to have my sweat glands removed in my arm pits as nothing seemed to work. My doctor called me 2 weeks ago to tell me about an article that she read in the paper about Hydrosal Professional. After the first 2 days it started to sting a little when I applied the gel, but I got over that fast when I realized that it was working. I just finished my 7 days and have not sweat at all in 5 days. I am absolutely thrilled and hope that others will try this too. I realize that sweating is an embarrassing issue and I myself didn’t talk about it much with other people, but it’s kind of obvious when you can see it through your clothing. Since I no longer have this problem I have been telling my friends and family about it because I know how difficult dealing with this issue is and how much it affects your life. I am surprised to hear how many other people have excessive sweating also. Thanks again and I will continue to spread knowledge about this great product! ”

Jennifer
“Before Hydrosal I would always have to worry about sweat stains in the shirts I used to wear. Now after using Hydrosal I can wear any color I want in any fabric. Hydrosal worked fast too; after 2 days I could already see the results – no more sweat stains. I highly recommend Hydrosal to anybody who has had it with those extremely embarrassing sweat stains and doesn’t want to worry about them anymore! ”

Julia
“My story began in high school. Whenever I had a big exam or had to do a presentation in class, I would start to perspire. I tried many different deodorants, changing deodorants almost every other day. I wore dark clothing, trying to mask my condition. I started purchasing only cotton garments as well in an attempt to hide the perspiration. When the condition was at its worst, I would place many tissues or a small towel under my shirt to contain the perspiration. I would have to change clothing once I arrived at an event due to the excessive perspiration. Ten years later, a friend of mine saw an Oprah show on “Hyperhydrosis” and how this was a known medical condition. From her information, I did some research online and found a doctor in Montreal that specialized in the treatment of Hyperhydrosis. The doctor prescribed “Hydrosal”. I put some on everyday for seven days before bed, and it worked! After that, I only need to apply the gel once a week and it continues to work. I’ve been using the gel for two months now. “Hydrosal” does not have any odor, has not caused any discomfort, and has removed my worries about public embarrassment. Thank you for helping me get over my embarrassing condition. ”

Sophia
“I am delighted to see that after 34 years of experience as a dermatologist, Valeo Pharma is bringing Hydrosal Professional to America. I have had the rare opportunity of treating over 7000 patients suffering from excessive sweating; the affected sites were the underarms, hands, feet,face and groins. Some of them were unquestionably candidates for surgery. Hydrosal, a new first line treatment for excessive sweating, consists of aluminum chloride hexahydrate in a proprietary gel base.Studies have demonstrated that a gel vehicle is better tolerated than an alcohol solution and that may be the reason why such preparations have improved efficacy and are better tolerated. I highly recommend this product as a first line treatment before considering Iontophoresis, Botox® injections or surgery. ”

Antranik Benohanian MD, FRCPC, FAAD

Dr. Benohanian is a Dermatologist at the Montreal University Hospital Center (Saint-Luc Hospital)
“I’ve had plantar hyperhidrosis since childhood, but figured I’d have to suffer through it. This winter my sweaty feet got so wet and cold that I got 2nd degree frostbite on two toes, so I became desperate to find something to help. I found Hydrosal Gel while researching iontophoresis online. I was skeptical but am thrilled with the results! Noticeable difference after two nights and I haven’t had to re-apply for two weeks now (plus, I’m in Hawaii where it’s much warmer than Calgary). My feet are sweat-free but the skin is not dehydrated or itchy. I’m so glad to have found this terrific product! Will also add that the service from Well.ca was great, along with the best price plus free-shipping. Thank you!! ”

well.ca customer
“It’s awesome – if you take any prescription medication and the side effect is that you are sweating buckets… well, this is a true life saver. Also a great thing to put on if you want to go out all night dancing as you will not sweat. I am sure the company can improve in the area of how often to apply. Apart from that, if you don’t take medication and just have hyperhydrosis, you would have to use it a lot less after the first week. ”

well.ca customer
“This stuff really works! I’ve had excessive sweating for years and had pretty much given up on finding a solution.

I tried Hydrosal gel and after a few days the sweating was gone. Now I only use it a few nights a week. Let’s say I stop using it for a few days. All I have to do is start using it again and by the 2nd night the sweating has stopped again. ”

well.ca customer
“I read on the net about this product and thought I would give it a go. I have a little bit of a face perspire issue in tight places like bars where people may be elbow to elbow, or job interviews with stress. I bought it, LOVE it! I use it only when needed before a situation and its all win. HIGHLY recommended and supplier is good also. ”

well.ca customer
“ I have never used any product that works as well as Hydrosal Gel. ”

well.ca customer
“ This stuff is a life saver! ”

well.ca customer

I decided to split the blog from the testimonials to make everything easier to find.

Hydrosal website
Hydrosal customer testimonials
Forum link blog
Forum link testimonials

“Hi, I’m from Australia and I would like to say, I would pay whatever dollar to fix up my sweaty arm pit problem, and then I came across Hydrosal!. I just would like to say there is no other product that works as good as this. and I have tried every single product out there and this is by far the best! I will keep using this product until I stop having this problem. Thanks, Jason ”

Jason
“I would like to bring to your attention, that I have tried the product that my doctor has recommended Hydrosal. For the pass thirty years I suffered in complete embarrassment, severe sweating from the forehead, and other body areas.
This sweating was triggered by nervousness on my confrontation of an individual that I met, or dealt with on first time basis.
The more I realized I was sweating, the more severe it became. It was devastating for me, and I spoke to many doctors with really no feed back from them. Meeting Dr Benohanian was for me a miracle; Life has given me a second chance. Hydrosal is amazing and very easy to apply with almost 90 to 95 % effective rate for me. Keep up the good work and create more beneficial products like Hydrosal!! Thanks again. ”

Allan
“Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I have suffered from excessive sweating as long as I can remember…..the last 10 years specifically, have been the worst. I was ready to have surgery to have my sweat glands removed in my arm pits as nothing seemed to work. My doctor called me 2 weeks ago to tell me about an article that she read in the paper about Hydrosal Professional. After the first 2 days it started to sting a little when I applied the gel, but I got over that fast when I realized that it was working. I just finished my 7 days and have not sweat at all in 5 days. I am absolutely thrilled and hope that others will try this too. I realize that sweating is an embarrassing issue and I myself didn’t talk about it much with other people, but it’s kind of obvious when you can see it through your clothing. Since I no longer have this problem I have been telling my friends and family about it because I know how difficult dealing with this issue is and how much it affects your life. I am surprised to hear how many other people have excessive sweating also. Thanks again and I will continue to spread knowledge about this great product! ”

Jennifer
“Before Hydrosal I would always have to worry about sweat stains in the shirts I used to wear. Now after using Hydrosal I can wear any color I want in any fabric. Hydrosal worked fast too; after 2 days I could already see the results – no more sweat stains. I highly recommend Hydrosal to anybody who has had it with those extremely embarrassing sweat stains and doesn’t want to worry about them anymore! ”

Julia
“My story began in high school. Whenever I had a big exam or had to do a presentation in class, I would start to perspire. I tried many different deodorants, changing deodorants almost every other day. I wore dark clothing, trying to mask my condition. I started purchasing only cotton garments as well in an attempt to hide the perspiration. When the condition was at its worst, I would place many tissues or a small towel under my shirt to contain the perspiration. I would have to change clothing once I arrived at an event due to the excessive perspiration. Ten years later, a friend of mine saw an Oprah show on “Hyperhydrosis” and how this was a known medical condition. From her information, I did some research online and found a doctor in Montreal that specialized in the treatment of Hyperhydrosis. The doctor prescribed “Hydrosal”. I put some on everyday for seven days before bed, and it worked! After that, I only need to apply the gel once a week and it continues to work. I’ve been using the gel for two months now. “Hydrosal” does not have any odor, has not caused any discomfort, and has removed my worries about public embarrassment. Thank you for helping me get over my embarrassing condition. ”

Sophia
“I am delighted to see that after 34 years of experience as a dermatologist, Valeo Pharma is bringing Hydrosal Professional to America. I have had the rare opportunity of treating over 7000 patients suffering from excessive sweating; the affected sites were the underarms, hands, feet,face and groins. Some of them were unquestionably candidates for surgery. Hydrosal, a new first line treatment for excessive sweating, consists of aluminum chloride hexahydrate in a proprietary gel base.Studies have demonstrated that a gel vehicle is better tolerated than an alcohol solution and that may be the reason why such preparations have improved efficacy and are better tolerated. I highly recommend this product as a first line treatment before considering Iontophoresis, Botox® injections or surgery. ”

Antranik Benohanian MD, FRCPC, FAAD

Dr. Benohanian is a Dermatologist at the Montreal University Hospital Center (Saint-Luc Hospital)
“I’ve had plantar hyperhidrosis since childhood, but figured I’d have to suffer through it. This winter my sweaty feet got so wet and cold that I got 2nd degree frostbite on two toes, so I became desperate to find something to help. I found Hydrosal Gel while researching iontophoresis online. I was skeptical but am thrilled with the results! Noticeable difference after two nights and I haven’t had to re-apply for two weeks now (plus, I’m in Hawaii where it’s much warmer than Calgary). My feet are sweat-free but the skin is not dehydrated or itchy. I’m so glad to have found this terrific product! Will also add that the service from Well.ca was great, along with the best price plus free-shipping. Thank you!! ”

well.ca customer
“It’s awesome – if you take any prescription medication and the side effect is that you are sweating buckets… well, this is a true life saver. Also a great thing to put on if you want to go out all night dancing as you will not sweat. I am sure the company can improve in the area of how often to apply. Apart from that, if you don’t take medication and just have hyperhydrosis, you would have to use it a lot less after the first week. ”

well.ca customer
“This stuff really works! I’ve had excessive sweating for years and had pretty much given up on finding a solution.

I tried Hydrosal gel and after a few days the sweating was gone. Now I only use it a few nights a week. Let’s say I stop using it for a few days. All I have to do is start using it again and by the 2nd night the sweating has stopped again. ”

well.ca customer
“I read on the net about this product and thought I would give it a go. I have a little bit of a face perspire issue in tight places like bars where people may be elbow to elbow, or job interviews with stress. I bought it, LOVE it! I use it only when needed before a situation and its all win. HIGHLY recommended and supplier is good also. ”

well.ca customer
“ I have never used any product that works as well as Hydrosal Gel. ”

well.ca customer
“ This stuff is a life saver! ”

well.ca customer

Hydrosal website
Hydrosal customer testimonials
Forum link blog
Forum link testimonials

I’ve recently been trying Hydrosal Antiperspirant. It’s a clear, colorless, odorless, topical gel that you apply (sparingly) to your underarm area. Hydrosal is great for treating hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). It’s a unique formulation developed by dermatologists, Hydrosal Gel contains the highly effective ingredient aluminum chloride hexahydrate delivered in a simple gel base. It’s simple to use. Wash and thoroughly dry the area to be treated, apply Hydrosal every night for seven nights at bed time, then continue as needed or as directed by a healthcare professional.

Hydrosal Gel is specially formulated for people who suffer with hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). The gel contains 15% aluminum chloride hexahydrate, a concentration proven to be more effective than other aluminum salts typically used in regular antiperspirants. The gel base means that Hydrosal has a low risk of irritation. Studies have shown the gel formulation is better tolerated than an alcohol solution found in many other products available for treating excessive sweating. In addition to reducing perspiration, Hydrosal Gel also helps to reduce underarm odor.

How To Use Hydrosal Gel
It is recommended that you wash and dry the area to be treated prior to application. A hair dryer set on “cool” could be used if necessary. A small quantity should be applied for seven consecutive nights at bedtime, then continued as needed. If you have sensitive skin, two to three treatments per week at bedtime are initially recommended. For minor irritations, a hydrocortisone cream could be applied an hour before the application of the gel and 15 minutes later if needed. If irritation persists, stop the medication and contact your doctor. Hydrosal Gel should not be applied to irritated, freshly shaved, or broken skin.

Side Effects
Hydrosal Gel is generally well tolerated by most people. However, along with most products, it does have the ability to irritate skin. If irritation persists, stop using Hydrosal Gel and contact your doctor.

The first time I tried Hydrosal was a bit hit and miss. Learning to use any new product and getting to know how to get the best out of it can take a while. The first night I used it, I went overboard on the amount I used. I had enough for four underarms but since I couldn’t get it back into the bottle, I slathered it on. Not surprisingly, the next morning my armpits were burning. I’d been trialling another product that had burned my skin so I decided to leave Hydrosal for a few weeks. Once my skin had healed, I used less of the gel. The next morning, my skin was still itchy so I left it another couple of weeks before trying again. Having done some research on products in general, I decided to use it within the hairline only, and sparingly at that. Tip: if you can’t get your skin bone dry prior to using a product, use a hairdryer on cool setting or dust lightly with some talc. This helped a great deal because my skin was slightly damp when I applied it. That was possibly one of the reasons my delicate skin became sore and itchy. Anyway. My trial eventually worked! I had to experiment with where to place the gel, if I used it outside of the ‘hair line’, or used too much, or used after shaving, it set me back a few days. Now I’ve fine tuned it, I’m very happy with the results! The bottle lasts for ages too.

Hydrosal was recently featured in a journal article published in the July 2011 issue of Cutis by Dr. Woolery-Lloyd and Dr. Valins from the University of Miami Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery. The article highlights Hydrosal’s efficacy as cotherapy with Botox for people who obtain a suboptimal response from treatment with Botox alone. The patients included suffered from moderate to severe hyperhidrosis, on the HDSS scale a 3 or 4. All participants reached 75-100% response rate with cotherapy and no irritation was observed.

I know Botox injections can be quite painful, and this cotherapy allows for minimizing breakthrough sweating and extending the duration of treatment, both fabulous for the patient health and wallet!

Another blog on sweaty feet – and why not! It’s the season where we’ll be going from lighter Summer footwear to heavier, enclosed Winter shoes and boots.

Forum link

Sweaty feet are problem for many. They not only cause social problems but a great deal of personal problems too. Apart from causing strong odor, sweaty feet can also hamper your daily walks and life. Sweaty feet are a natural phenomenon and can be yours by birth. There are many ways to get rid of the sweaty feet. Here is some best information you may be looking for.

Sweaty feet are caused by the nature of your body. In the average span of the day, your body perspires naturally to regulate heat. In case of some people, this natural process of perspiration is overweening in the feet. This is what results in sweaty feet and in most of the cases sweaty palms too. This condition is known as hyperhidrosis; defined as the yield of perspiration more than what is important to cool off your body.

Excessive sweating is generally of two types-the first case is when your body sweats more naturally while in the second case, your body sweats more due to some conditions and diseases. The first case is known as primary hyperhidrosis and the second one is secondary hyperhidrosis.

The biggest problem that lies with sweaty feet is that they can even result in very smelly feet. It can be thus very embarrassing situation for the affected person. People frequently experience pieces of skin that is inclined to peel and be really painful. Sweaty feet can also result in Athletes foot, which is a common condition.

Tips to help cope with sweaty feet:

Take special precaution with foods and drinks that you intake. It is noted that certain foods and drinks can make you sweat greatly. Drinks that have alcohol or caffeine may provoke surplus sweating. In the same way, some spicy food may make some individuals sweat a great deal.

Sweating beyond certain limits may also be due to hereditary reasons. If you are facing problem of sweaty foot, find out whether your parents have this problem too. There are certain medications available in the market that can control natural perspiration. Always consult your doctor before taking these medicines.

If you are taking some medicines regularly, consult your doctor to know if these are the reasons behind excessive sweating. There are certain types of drugs that induce heavy sweating.

If you experience that you sweat more than enough, please consult your doctor to know more. You can not measure the tendency of normal sweating. Therefore, each one of us should know about their body that whether we are sweating more than normal or less.

Do not wear shoes that are made of synthetic materials, such as, tennis shoes and socks. These footwear are made of man made fabric which are actually contributing factors in the production of great perspiration.

There are good qualities of lotions, medications and powders available in the market that are good to help deal with sweaty feet. Certain medical foot bath treatments are good anti-perspirants excellent for sweaty feet.

Information found here

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME – aka Plantar Hyperhidrosis / sweaty feet

Among the important functions of our skin is to assist in getting rid of the excess heat from our body. This is accomplished by evaporative cooling (the sweat evaporates taking with it heat extracted from the body). When there is excess sweating or it is retained on the body, the sweat accumulates; this is called hyperhidrosis. Sweat ordinarily does not produce an odor. If the sweat stays on the skin too long, it can contribute to the growth of bacteria and the breakdown of skin chemicals. This bad smelling sweat is called bromhidrosis. The first condition can be a simple annoyance to you and the second can be an annoyance to those around you, especially in a oriental food restaurant.

RISKS OF SWEATY FEET:

Sweaty feet can also have a harmful effect on other aspects of your foot health too. The excess sweat can act as a chemical vehicle and solvent extracting chemicals from the linings of your shoes. These dissolved, shoe chemicals can cause skin rashes (contact or allergic dermatitis). The sweat can also lead the more rapid deterioration of your shoes.

Most importantly, the sweat also significantly changes the environment inside your shoes to not only dark and warm, but also damp — the perfect environment for certain yeast, mold, fungal and viral infections of the skin. Sweaty feet are thus more like to develop skin rashes, yeast infections, athletes foot, fungus toenails and warts (common or plantar). If you have any of these conditions, then controlling your hyperhidrosis is very important for treating these concurrent problems.

YOU CAN DO IT!:

Here is some helpful advice which you can follow if you have a problem stemming from or worsened by excess perspiration (sweating) of your feet.

HYGIENE is the first and simplest factor which must be addressed. If the feet, toes and toe webs are not well cleansed regularly and kept dry, sweat will accumulate, and foot odor and infections can result.

The feet, toes and toe webs MUST be “cleansed” well, NOT just rinsed off. Use a surgical-grade antibacterial soap such as Betadine® Skin Cleanser (VERY drying; not to be used if allergic to iodine!) or Hibiclens®, or their generic equivalents, available at your pharmacy. “Deodorant” soaps are NOT enough to control bacteria. Cleansing means gently cleaning with a washcloth and then lathering up the feet again with one of the antiseptic soaps and allowing that lather to sit on the feet for a minute before washing it off. Then it is important to thoroughly dry the feet and webs, if necessary with a “hair” drier.

FOOT ENVIRONMENT is the second, obvious area to focus on. We usually encase our feet in closed, tight, shoes which are often made of non-absorbent materials, such as patent leather, plastics, vinyl, and rubber. Frequently shoes are glued together instead of sewn. Do NOT were cotton socks in closed shoes (compared to sandals). Cotton socks in winter, outdoors, can make your feet cold and likely to get frostbite. Cotton socks in closed shoes guarantees hotter, wetter feet!

Whenever possible, wear shoes which closely match the shape and contours of your feet and toes. Limit the use of “stylish,” “designer” shoes. Wear shoes that fit properly; be measured for them before buying; and allow plenty of room in the toe box. If you cannot easily wiggle your toes in the shoe, it is too tight. Wear shoes with uppers made of leather, not impervious. Gortex is great for venting excess perspiration. NEVER wear the same shoes two days in a row; use shoe-trees between uses. Allow your shoes to DRY out a full day before wearing that pair again.

Powder your feet, toes and webs (NOT the shoes) with a good foot powder such as ZeaSorb® (which contains micro-fine cellulose) before donning your socks or stockings. In cool or cold weathers, a thin pair of polypropylene or acrylic socks worn under more absorbent socks of acrylic-wool blend will keep the feet drier. A medium-bulk acrylic sock would be a good substitute for the preceding combination. Cotton socks should be AVOIDED, especially in closed shoes! They are absorbent BUT they hold your own sweat against your skin – there to cause problems! Wear only clean socks – daily. If you have a significant sweat problem, change you socks or stocking half-way through the day, re-powdering your feet when you do.

At the end of the day, wear sandals, zorries or flip-flops around the house. Where appropriate go shoeless with or without a pair of fresh, clean socks. (Caution: may be slippery on tile and wooden floors and stairs!) AVOID foam-filled, terry cloth (usually cotton uppers) slippers.

STRESS makes you Sweat!
Perhaps the most difficult factor to control is the stress in your life. The more “tension” you are under, the more you are likely to have sweaty feet. Modifying your behavior and your psychological environment (at home and at work) to lessen excessive stress will help you control sweating. This is an ongoing task which you must confront, hopefully with the cooperation of the people you have to deal with. Professional guidance may help.

What more can be done?

Several other tools and techniques can help to lessen the problem of sweaty (and smelly) feet.

Soaking your feet in (yes!) regular tea (which contains the astringent tannic acid) daily can be helpful (though it may “stain” your feet). Wiping you feet, toes and webs with rubbing alcohol a couple times daily (or at least before going to bed) may be helpful too; allow it to dry thoroughly. In addition to a towel, consider drying your feet carefully with a hair drier (with heat off in summer and, if safe, on in winter).

For a severe sweating problem and cracking between the toes, place a wick of gauze in each of the web spaces, extending onto the top and bottom of the feet. These can be cut from a cotton gauze pad or from a roll of soft-woven gauze.

Rx: If simpler methods are insufficient, using prescription strength antiperspirants (NOT deordorants!) may be needed. DrySol® or Xerac-AC® is applied nightly to DRY/dried feet(above) and washed off in the morning several times each week. These strong preparations work so well that professional guidance is advised. If your own efforts don’t seem to be working, then call us and come in to see me! We will do our best to help you achieve a better level of foot health. We look forward to serving you, your family and friends for this and other foot and ankle concerns.

http://wethersfield.net/html/fhs/pis/sweatyft.html

I always find it really interesting to read other people’s experiences with Hyperhidrosis and came across this blog – it’s written by a Canadian guy and tells his experiences of Japanese Summer and how harsh they can be. I’ve also added the comments left on the blog.

I really really hope the blog owner doesn’t mind us publishing this, I’ve sent him a message on Twitter with a link to where he can find us – if he does, and he wants his blog removed then that’s no problem, just email me and please accept our fervent apologies for overstepping the mark

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Sunday, May 22, 2011
Sweating in Japan

Growing up in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, I faced a varied climate. There were some distinct seasons. We of course were faced with damp, slushy and cold winters. Those were followed by muddy and damp springs. After spring was the shortest season of them all, summer. Summer lasted from about the second week of July until the end of August. The temperatures were arm and relatively dry. We would deal with average temperatures of about 25C, comfortable and warm. After that came my favorite season, fall. The air was crisp and the fall colours throughout Cape Breton’s forests were simply breathtaking.

Fast forward many years and I find myself living in the Kansai region of Japan. The climate is far different from what I grew up with and people deal with the elements in a very different way.

How do the seasons here in Kobe compare with those I dealt with while growing up? Well, there isn’t a lot in common!

In Kobe, there are certainly distinct seasons. Winter is mild and very easy to cope with. I like to refer to winters here as “winter lite”! We basically have no snow at all and the temperatures hover around 5C. Winter in Kobe is like mid-fall back home. I like it, but I occasionally miss the “white stuff.” Spring comes along and temperatures skyrocket very quickly. By mid-May, temperatures are I the mid to high 20’s. Then comes a bonus season! Rainy Season.

Rainy Season is basically a month of wet and a whole lot of not fun. As I am writing this post, the rainy season is beginning.

This is a month of having to hang your laundry inside your house (although clothes dryers are standard in Canadian households, they don’t exist in Japan). It is a month of your clothes not drying, getting moldy and not smelling so fresh. This is a season of testing the strength and durability of a variety of umbrellas and hoping someone doesn’t steal your umbrella when you leave it in the umbrella stand outside your office. It is wet!

Rainy season passes and we are immediately thrown into the “Japanese sauna”!

Summer in this area of Japan is brutal. It is hot and very humid. Often, with the humidex, temperatures reach the high 30’s and at times the low 40’s. You sweat from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed. Then you sweat in bed!

Summer in Japan is all about having high power bills in your house because of the air conditioner (even though many Japanese people refuse to use the air conditioners they have) and pointing fans in every direction you can think of.

During my first summer here, I was often self-conscience about the amount I was sweating. I was embarrassed about the fact that the underarms of my shirt were often wet. I was embarrassed about constantly having to wipe the endless waterfall of sweat from my brow. Then I began to look around and noticed that I wasn’t alone. Most of the people around me were sharing the same misery! Most men were also soaking through their shirts and I realized most people carried “sweat towels.” Small towels used to wipe their brows, necks and faces. Both men and women would constantly use these towels. Construction workers normally just tie a white towel around their heads like a bandana to soak up the moisture (I’ve even seen a few dorky foreigners do the same).

Once the sweltering nastiness of summer passes, we have fall in Japan. Fall here is much like mid-summer where I grew up in Canada. It is still pretty warm, but at least the sweating pretty much stops.

Then we’re back to winter and the cycle continues.

Conclusion: Weather here is a lot different than what I grew up with and summer here REALLY sucks!

I thought I’d add the comments, the first one made me smile – everyone’s sweat is the same, no matter where we come from I’ve never come across a person with Hyperhidrosis who actually smells (I had to get that in!). We’re the most hygienic people you could ever come across. And if the antiperspirants in Japan are that weak then I really do feel for them, it must be their own personal hell, especially in their Summer.

jaydeejapan said…
There’s something that always amused me about sweating in Japan. The deodorant in Japan is incredibly weak. The reason? Japanese people tell me it’s because Japanese sweat has no smell.
Right…
Some of the worst smelling people I have ever smelled in my entire life are Japanese businessmen.

Hiko said…
I always tell anyone who will listen not to come to Tokyo between May and September – summer in NZ sounds a lot like Canada, only we get a nice long summer. Winter is rainy and cold – Tokyo only gets nice pleasant warm weather for about 2 weeks each spring and each autumn – and I have heard that summers are worse in Kansai. Climate was apparently a big consideration in the relocation of the capital to Tokyo.

jenninjapan said…
Quite glad for the cool summers here on the north island! I actually went to Kansai last August. Stayed with my family in Osaka while day tripping Nara, Kyoto, and Kobe. I thought I was going to die. And this is after having lived six years in the very tropical climate of central Florida. At least in the States, everything (EVERYTHING) has air conditioning. Not the case in Japan, ne. Is a/c prevalent in Canada?