Facial Hyperhidrosis
Education • Community • Treatment
There are two types of Facial Hyperhidrosis.
Focal or Primary Hyperhidrosis, is the term used when you are diagnosed with Hyperhidrosis as the prevailing cause of your sweating. Secondary Hyperhidrosis, is the term used to describe Hyperhidrosis when it is the direct result of another medical condition. Some of these other conditions can include: Anxiety, Cancer, Heart Disease, Menopause, or the side effects from prescription or recreational drug use.
If you feel you are suffering from Facial Hyperhidrosis, is it best to consult with your Primary Care Physician, or your Dermatologist for a proper diagnosis. It may be the sign of a greater health issue. While Facial Hyperhidrosis can not be totally cured, the good news is, there are many treatment methods available today that can keep the symptoms of Facial Hyperhidrosis under control.
We will go into those in a minute.
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Facial Hyperhidrosis, is the medical term used to describe excessive sweating of your facial, or cranial region. Hyperhidrosis, is an excessive sweating disorder that can also affect your armpits called Axillary Hyperhidrosis, hands known as Palmar Hyperhidrosis, or feet called Plantar Hyperhidrosis.
Facial Hyperhidrosis sufferers, often describe the feeling as if their own body is a living sauna.
Hyperhidrosis, whether in the form of Axillary Hyperhidrosis, or Facial Hyperhidrosis strikes about 2% to 3% of the world population according to the medical community.
What that means is there are millions of people around the world who are also suffering from Hyperhidrosis in one form or another, so you’re not alone by any means with your struggle. I know the word struggle may seem harsh, but for many suffers of Facial Hyperhidrosis, that’s exactly what daily life is.
Hyperhidrosis, especially Facial Hyperhidrosis, often times brings with it a sense of shame, embarrassment, or low self-esteem. Many suffers will have the tendency shun social events or public outings. Daily activities become a challenge, afraid that social interaction, or physical exertion with bring about the symptoms. This is primarily so with women, as many female Facial Hyperhidrosis suffers can not wear make-up.
Facial Hyperhidrosis is the hardest form of Hyperhidrosis to conceal, that is why it has such profound effect on your lifestyle, physically and emotionally.
Treatment options for Facial Hyperhidrosis suffers.
There are several treatment options available to help control the symptoms of Facial Hyperhidrosis. While your Facial Hyperhidrosis may never be completely cured, you can at least lessen it’s impact on your life. There are surgical, and non-surgical, options available.
Some of these options include the use of prescription, and over-the-counter drugs, and antiperspirants.
Prescription anticholinergic drugs such as, Robinul and Robinul-Forte, are forms of glycopyrrolate. They are used to help prevent the stimulation of your sweat glands. Beta-blockers or benzodiazepines may help reduce Facial Hyperhidrosis if you are suffering from stress-related sweating.
Topical antiperspirants Dyrsol, Maxim, and Certain Dri, have been found to be effective with milder forms of Hyperhidrosis. If you have found that these products work for you, or that they don’t work for you, please post about it in our blog so that others may benefit from your experiences.
Here are few books from Amazon that we thought you might find helpful in dealing with hyperhidrosis on a day-to-day basis.
Read them for yourself, or purchase them for a family member who may not understand, or recognize the physical and emotional strain that living with a genetic disorder can have on your life.
Facial Hyperhidrosis often makes you feel hot under the collar.
Medical Procedures that are involved in the treatment of Facial Hyperhidrosis.
Iontoporesis is a Food & Drug Administration approved procedure that uses electricity to temporarily turn off your sweat glands. It is more effective for sweating of the hands and feet, than Facial Hyperhidrosis.
Botox has been mentioned as a possible treatment in the fight against Facial Hyperhidrosis. However, the jury is still out as to the effectiveness of Botox for a treatment, we would recommend a good deal of research before going this route, seems to be more effective with other forms of Hyperhidrosis, than Facial Hyperhidrosis.
Finally, there is a surgery called Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy or ETS for short. In severe cases, ETS may be recommended when other treatments have failed. This procedure will turn off the signal that tells your body to sweat excessively. It is usually done on palmar hyperhidrosis patients whose palms sweat much more heavily than normal. The procedure may also be used to treat extreme cases of Facial Hyperhidrosis. ETS has not been as effective for those who suffer from Axillary Hyperhidrosis.
Please be sure to read and post to our blog, it was our intention to create a web site where Facial Hyperhidrosis suffers would have a place to call their own. Our community where we can share our trials, tribulations, and successes, as we go about our daily lives in the most comfortable manner we can, knowing we are not alone in our struggle.
Here are some other resources we thought you might find useful.
National Institutes of Health / Hyperhidrosis
International Hyperhidrosis Society