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Manage Sweat @ School & Work
Hyperhidrosis (Hh), or excessive sweating, affects nearly 5% of people worldwide—and almost 9% of those aged 18 to 39.
Often starting in childhood or adolescence, this medical condition of extreme and uncontrollable perspiration can have significant detrimental impacts on a person’s general as well as mental health. For example, recent research from the International Hyperhidrosis Society found that:
- 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.
In other research*:
- 80% of adults with Hh report feeling dissatisfied with their performance at work.
- 42% say Hh prevents them from following a certain career path.
- 20% struggle with computers, mobile phones, and touch screens.
- Many also report challenges with networking, friendships, and inclusion.
To help, we’ve gathered practical tips for managing sweating in the classroom, on the sports field, at work, and beyond.
Ask for Accommodations
Talk to employers, teachers, administrators, or human resource professionals about ways to remove obstacles to success. Remember that productivity, effectiveness and workplace loyalty can benefit from understanding and creative problem solving.
A few ideas:
- Submitting typed work instead of handwritten assignments
- Giving presentations via Zoom or pre-recorded webinars rather than in person
- Allowing extra time for tests or assessments
- Making adjustments to workstations, tools, or uniforms
While past generations of people with hyperhidrosis often suffered in silence, today we can advocate for change.
Gather Sweat-Smart Supplies
The right supplies can help make extreme sweating less distracting, embarrassing and disruptive. Here are some options:
Stay Cool & Dry
- Keep things cool with pocket and handheld fans.
- Make wiping off sweat easier with absorbent towels that fit neatly in pockets.
- Stock up on antiperspirants. There are exclusive discounts for our community.
- Don’t forget the importance of quality sleep for productivity. Seek cooling, moisture-wicking sheets or a cooling system for the bed if night sweating is an issue.
Writing & School Essentials
- Choose thicker paper products and darker pencils, like #1 pencils. These help keep writing from smudging. Keep in mind, though, that academic tests may require #2 pencils.
- Add pencil grippers - the foam absorbs sweat and keeps pencils from slipping when writing.
- 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 materials when possible.
Tech Protection
- 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 and half-gloves that help prevent papers from getting smeared.
Clothing & Footwear
- Add absorbent shoe-liners to 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.
- Specialized headwear can help manage forehead and scalp sweating in hard hats, helmets and more. Look for discounts on our Fan Fave Products page.
- 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. Find companies offering deals 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.
There are many products to help manage the day-to-day hassles of living with excessive sweating. Learn more and get discounted prices on our Fan Fave Products page.
Seek Medical Treatment
While the right supplies can be a huge help, they usually don’t solve a sweating problem. Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition often requiring medical treatment. To get that treatment:
- Recognize the signs. Sometimes they are obvious—soggy shoes from plantar hyperhidrosis, smeared paperwork from palmar hyperhidrosis and/or drenched clothing from axillary hyperhidrosis. Learn more about how excessive sweating is diagnosed here.
- Explore current treatment options—and how they can be combined for the best results. From topicals and oral medications to medical devices and procedures, the right treatment depends on your age, specific areas of sweating, lifestyle, and personal preferences. Here’s a look at the available options and how they can work together:
- Antiperspirants: Over-the-counter and prescription options are available, including formulations for areas beyond the underarms. Apply at night before bed and consider combining with botulinum toxin injections for added benefit.
- Sofdra and Qbrexza: FDA-approved, topical, once-daily prescription medications for underarm use. These treatments, applied to the skin, contain anticholinergics, but because they are applied just to the underarms, potential side effect risks can be reduced.
- Iontophoresis: A non-invasive medical device that can be especially useful for sweaty hands and feet. Most users—after a build-up period—can get to the point where they only need to perform the treatment once per week or less. Leading brands offer discounts for our community on their home-use devices. If you live in an area with “soft” water, and find that iontophoresis is not working for you, you can try adding baking soda or other minerals to your iontophoresis water trays. Ask your device’s manufacturer for more information. Some people also find more relief by adding a crushed oral anticholinergic tablet to their trays. Discuss this option and appropriate use with your healthcare provider. Do not add crushed anticholinergic tablets to iontophoresis water trays if you are already taking these medications orally.
- Botulinum toxin injections: These injections can block chemical messengers that “turn on” sweat glands with effects lasting for 7 to 16 months. Botulinum toxin can be used for excessive sweating of the underarms, head/face, hands, feet, groin, and other small-ish body areas.
- Oral medications: Often used effectively and economically in combination with other treatments (like iontophoresis or botulinum toxin injections), anticholinergic medications taken by mouth can be prescribed “off-label” for excessive sweating. Side effects can, however, be a limiting factor, especially for athletes or anyone working in a hot environment. Discuss this with your healthcare provider.
- miraDry: Available for the underarms, miraDry microwave thermolysis is a non-invasive, relatively quick medical procedure performed in a medical office using a handheld device to permanently destroy sweat glands. Often a second treatment (3 months later) is necessary.
Use our Clinician Finder to locate a hyperhidrosis-savvy clinician who can discuss the above options and more (as well as effective combinations of these options).
We believe in empowering people with hyperhidrosis so they can realize their dreams in school, at work and beyond. Information, accommodations, supplies, and treatments all play important roles in this. With effective care, studies show that people with Hh can be more satisfied in their activities, perform better and experience greater well-being.
Spread the word by telling your healthcare team, employee health providers, school nurses, campus health services, and human resource professionals about the useful information available on this website including practical information about hyperhidrosis, its ramifications, current treatments, and the latest hyperhidrosis research in medical journals. Keeping others informed about hyperhidrosis helps create a more supportive environment.
We are cheering for you as you make the most of your opportunities and build an even better future!
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