Super Sweating - Tips on Coping with Hyperhidrosis

My mother used to call it "sweating like a cow" for some reason. That is, sweating heavily on her face. I can remember her when I was little, her face dripping in the summer as she did her ironing to The Price is Right. And I do it, too. We don't sweat heavily elsewhere, tho. My mother used to boast that she didn't even need to use anti-perspirant. But the heat really got her, and it does me, too.

I suppose I am worse, because my hair actually gets wet in the summer heat, and when exercising. This summer, hearing that it was going to be a hot one, I purposely planned to have my hair a little longer so I could wear it up and avoid wilting. I have been coping with this condition as long as I remember, but it's only recently that I discovered that this is a medical condition with a Latin name - hyperhidrosis. There is an organization and a website and the whole deal...And there were earnest articles about how not to sweat and ruin your wedding or prom night. They talked about the total humiliation of your hair getting wet. Well, it's a pain in the neck, but hardly that disturbing. Then I went on to read about remedies - which stretched to Botoxing your sweat glands to having surgery!

Ugh. Not for me. Actually, for a female it can be a plus, because you are always hydrating your face. No need to spray yourself with Evian, just pat your face down with good enough Kleenex so that the lint doesn't stick to your face...(You will also want to wear creamy makeup when you can, because it's more water resistant and remember a waterproof mascara. And then have a powder compact to reduce the shine).

As lot of folks seem really clueless about how to deal with this condition, I thought I would share my lifelong habits. First - I have a collection of hand fans of all types. I first picked up one on a long-ago trip to Spain, and used to take it along on my summer dates. Now I have a whole collection. Not to mention little electronic one that run on batteries. When I was working in offices, I always had a little fan on my desk, so I could cool down from walking around on my lunch hour.

And then I always carry cologne, because the alcohol in the cologne, evaporates when applied to the wrists and temples. It's an old remedy for cooling off, and the scent isn't too over-powering. (I like classic citrus-based colognes, like the German 4711 or Calvin Klein's). And then there are the pocket kleenex packs I mentioned before, to mop my brow with. When my hair is down, I have developed a habit of fluffing with with my fingers to have it dry out quickly, and lots of clips, bands, etc., to pull it back. I also have several acrylic "scrunchie" type hair pieces which I can put on my ponytail for fullness. Acrylic is great, because it refuses to wilt! (When I was doing Ren Faires, I had some acrylic curls to wear in front of my ears under my hat!)

As for wardrobe - this may help the menopausal - you mostly want to stick to natural fabrics like cotton or linen. Although a polyester shell or jacket can be great because, again, they refuse to wilt. Remember that nylon and polyesters trap heat, and only make things worse for you. I also like to wear loose clothing when it's really hot - and long skirts with sandals. You can also avoid pantyhose, by applying those new moisturizers with color they have now. And then I carry a shawl to put on my shoulders when I encounter the air conditioning or the night air.

You want to wear outfits that won't give away your temporary wet condition and dry out well. Don't wear anything that will get embarrassing dark sweat marks on it. I learned that from an infamous linen-like sheath dress in a warm June concert in high school long ago. Ladies used to wear dress shields, triangles of water-resistant fabric pinned or sewn into their clothes, but I can't get used to THAT. But remember that SILK deteriorates when you sweat. If you do wear silk, wash it out immediately, or the fabric will probably discolor and/or rot otherwise.

As for sweating in jackets that are otherwise clean. Fabreze spray is good for that and for other cases where dry cleaning isn't possible. It's also a way to freshen up sweaters without washing them - great for those big woolen sweaters, which take weeks to dry. Oh, remember that when exposed to wetness sweaters scrunch up in what they call felting. Now crafters do that on purpose, but you don't want to felt the underarm area of your nice sweater due to dancing, as I found I had done once.

Hats can be worn to cover your wilting hair, as well as keep the sun off. And you can even use a parasol. I got a lovely one of Battenberg lace to use when I got married in the back yard in NJ in August (hot). That hot day, I also wore a long linen dress, as silk would be impossible, and had the hairdresser lacquer my hair so it wouldn't go totally flat. That's not something I would normally do - but for special occasions those freezing hair sprays do work.

The latest discovery of mine is that sage tea may be good for stopping excessive sweating, and I am experimenting with that this summer. I made a sage tea out of regular powdered kitchen sage, and have been keeping it in the frig and applying it to my face. It does staunch the sweating on my face, especially straight form the frig, and I am trying to carry around a little vial of it - but it's not as effective at room temperature, I find. I did some net research, and the instructions for using it are a bit vague. Some places said to apply it topically, as I described. Others said to sip it. I have tried both. There is a warning against using it if you have a seizure disorder, too. So I am using it gingerly.

Then you can go to the medical sites and read up on those Botox and surgical solutions. But I personally am terrified of having botulism that close to my mental functions! And surgery, forget it.

The doctors say the condition is genetic, but they are mostly as puzzled about it as we are - Botox or no...But I did read that you lose minerals by sweating so profusely, so remember to stock up. And keep on drinking your water, so you don't get adverse heat effects. What with that, your fan, your sunglasses, hat and handy kleenex and a whiff of cologne, you should be able to get through most situations quite nicely. But don't wear false eyelashes. I has some on in a play in college, and they ended up in my eyes. So be vigilant, and keep yourself as cool as you can, and, you know, no one will notice...