Back-to-School Must-Haves for Anyone with Excessive Sweating
Students of all ages are heading back to school and work routines are (mostly) returning to normal. But for many, staying on top of to-do lists isn't the only challenge – there’s also excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis to manage.
Hyperhidrosis affects nearly 5% of people worldwide, often begins during childhood or adolescence, and causes significant detrimental impacts. For example, in recent research from the International Hyperhidrosis Society:
- High school students with excessive sweating reported that all aspects of their quality of life (physical, functional, social, emotional, and financial) are negatively affected by hyperhidrosis.
- Increased hyperhidrosis severity was associated with greater depression and anxiety in young people. For those with severe sweating, 31% also experienced severe anxiety. Among those with severe or moderate sweating, 35% percent also experienced moderately severe depression.
Supporting those with hyperhidrosis, especially students, is crucial, says Dr. David Pariser (a co-founder of the International Hyperhidrosis Society). “When hyperhidrosis is caught early,” he says, “the life of a young person can be literally changed."
To help students, we’ve got these useful tips...
Ask for Accommodations
Is sweating making a student feel too embarrassed to speak in class? Or does a student have to take the time to dry their hands or face frequently during tests? They may need extra time for assessments.
Talk to teachers and administrators about ways to remove obstacles to success.
- Perhaps typed work instead of handwritten?
- Or a painting in lieu of a drawing?
- TED Talk-style video presentations to replace in-front-of-the-class speeches?
While previous generations of hyperhidrosis sufferers may have suffered in silence, today we can advocate for change — and help break the cycle.
Shop for Sweat-Smart Supplies
The right supplies can help make extreme sweating less distracting, embarrassing, and destructive to assignments, technology, and gear. Here are some ideas:
- Keep things cooler with pocket and handheld fans.
- Make wiping sweat away easier with small, absorbent towels that fit neatly in pockets.
- Choose thicker paper products and darker pencils, like #1 pencils. These help keep writing from smudging. Keep in mind, though, that certain tests may require #2 pencils.
- Add pencil grippers - the foam absorbs sweat and keeps pencils from slipping through sweaty fingers.
- Pick erasers that are in “click sticks” so they stay dry and functional.
- Opt for permanent markers and pens - they are less likely to smear.
- Laminate when possible or choose plastic notebook covers, book covers and folders so they won’t get soggy from sweating.
- Look for waterproof keyboard protectors, screen protectors, and stylus “pens” to use on touchscreens.
- Consider cotton gloves to help manage sweaty hands during key tasks. There are also non-slip finger sleeves for touch screens. We’ve even seen half-gloves that help prevent papers from getting smeared.
- Add affordable, absorbent Summer Soles shoe-liners to nearly any footwear. Discounts are available. A shoe-dryer is another useful item for plantar (foot) hyperhidrosis sufferers. It can quickly dry sweat-soaked shoes so they are ready for the next day. Or, consider buying multiple pairs of the same shoes so they can be rotated every other day.
- NoSweat and SweatHawg headwear options can help manage forehead sweat in hats, helmets, and other headgear. Both options can make returning to school and fall sports more comfortable and worry-free. Discounts are available on both brands through our Fan Fave Products page.
- Stock up on antiperspirants from SweatBlock, Klima Health Solutions, Carpe, and ZeroSweat — each provide exclusive discounts for our community.
- Make functional fashion choices. Light, flowing layers, darker colors, and large prints help hide sweat marks. Consider absorbent underlayers—designed for underarm and other body areas—such as those from NanoDri, Social Citizen, and Thompson Tee. All three companies offer discounts through our website.
- Multiples of the same uniform or outfit can be helpful for quick changes during the day that no one will notice.
- Upgrade laundry detergent. Hi-tech fabrics can get smelly -- choose a biofilm buster designed for stinky clothing if this is an issue. And save 90% in energy consumption by doing your laundry in cold water and still getting the clean you need using a cold wash specialized detergent.
- Don’t forget college students and their dorm rooms. Seek cooling, moisture-wicking sheets or a cooling system for the bed if night sweating is an issue; advocate for campus health services to be proactive in helping hyperhidrosis sufferers; and facilitate medical treatment if sweating is interfering with education.
There are products out there to help young people manage the day-to-day hassles of living with excessive sweating. You can find many of them at discounted prices on our Fan Fave Products page.
Most Importantly: Seek Medical Treatment
While the right supplies can be a huge help, they don’t solve a sweating problem. Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition often requiring medical treatment. To get that treatment:
- Make time to discuss sweating. Excessive sweating is something that needs to be talked about in order to be managed. Listening to our podcasts can help get conversations started.
- Recognize the signs. Sometimes they are obvious — wet footprints on the floor from plantar hyperhidrosis, smeared homework and clammy hand-holding with palmar hyperhidrosis and drenched clothing from axillary hyperhidrosis. But other times, hyperhidrosis symptoms can be hidden. Bulky layers and dark colors can disguise sweat marks. Avoiding activities can avoid embarrassment. Learn more about how excessive sweating is diagnosed here.
- Learn about the current treatment options available for children and adolescents with hyperhidrosis. These include:
- Antiperspirants: Over-the-counter and prescription options are available, including formulations for areas beyond the underarms.
- Sofdra and Qbrexza: FDA-approved topical anticholinergics for underarm use in children as young as 9 years old.
- Iontophoresis: A non-invasive medical device that can be especially useful for sweaty hands and feet. Leading brands like Hidrex USA, RA Fischer, Dermadry, and Bindner Medical Iontophoresis Specialists offer discounts for our community on their home-use devices.
- Cuvposa: An oral anticholinergic (glycopyrrolate in a liquid formulation) that can be used off-label for even young children. One IHhS expert indicates that she prescribes glycopyrrolate and/or oxybutynin to treat pediatric hyperhidrosis in children as young as 4 years old (and notes that about 80% of all the medications used in children, for all sorts of conditions, are being used "off-label.")
- Use our Clinician Finder to locate a hyperhidrosis-savvy pediatric dermatologist or other qualified clinician who can discuss the above options and more (as well as effective combinations of these options) based on your child’s age.
As students head back to school, it's important to remember that children and teens with excessive sweating don’t have to struggle alone like so many did in the past. Huge thanks to all the families, teachers, coaches, school nurses, and pediatricians as well as adolescent healthcare providers who make a difference for students every day.
Want to do more? Tell your school nurses and other youth healthcare providers about all of the useful information available on SweatHelp.org including reliable, practical information about hyperhidrosis, its ramifications, current treatment options, and quick links to the latest hyperhidrosis research published in medical journals.
Fist bump to everyone around the world making the most of their education and their future. We’re rooting for you!