Anecdotes on Living with Hyperhidrosis: Part 1
In this series, I’ll be sharing experiences of living with excessive sweating that have shaped who I am today. There’s a constant reference to anxiety throughout my experiences. The age-old question many of us have asked ourselves at least once (or a hundred times): Am I sweating because I’m anxious, or am I anxious because I’m sweating?
Living with hyperhidrosis can put you in a constant state of alert. You become hyper aware of your body, your surroundings, and how others might be perceiving you. It’s a strange kind of invisible disability. One that doesn’t stop you from living your life but can quietly dictate how you live it. Yes, you can see the sweat on our hands. No, it doesn’t technically stop us from doing things. But depending on the situation or activity, excessive sweating can make things difficult or near impossible. Too much worry and stress around hyperhidrosis can lead to a paranoid mindset and feel limiting in social settings.
In Part 1 of this series ‘Anecdotes on Living with Hyperhidrosis’ I’m sharing three experiences from my youth that triggered feelings of anxiety because of my hyperhidrosis. Not because I’m an inherently anxious person. If you’ve had similar moments yourself, I’d love for you to share in the comments.
The Play-Doh Incident
In Grade 3 we had an activity using Play-Doh. I remember it vividly. I was holding this bright orange lump and rolling it into a ball, when I realised I’d made an orange paste. I asked the teacher if I could go wash my hands. She looked at me, not angry, just confused with a hint of disgust, and asked why I’d added water to the Play-Doh. I told her I hadn’t. I didn’t know how to explain that my hands just… did this. I could tell she probably didn’t believe me. And being looked down upon for something completely out of my control stayed with me far longer than the orange-stained hands did. Hence why I’m retelling this story now.
The Thongs That Betrayed Me
It was the summer holidays and I was playing in the street with other kids. I was wearing thongs (flip flops) and we were wandering around until we found a small grassy hill. Naturally, we decided to race up it. This was not an athletic highlight for me. I started running and immediately felt the thongs slip sideways off my feet. I could barely make it up the hill. I had to start walking. Even going slowly didn’t help because I had zero grip with the sweat. This moment ensured that I would never wear thongs again unless at the beach.
The Green Sports Shirt
School sports days were one of my favourite times of the year. I loved sport. What I didn’t love was the bright green shirt I had to wear. In Grade 5, we were sitting in roll call before heading down to the sports grounds. The girl sitting opposite me noticed my underarm sweat marks and screeched, “Why are your armpits wet??” Our desks were right in front of the teacher. I felt instantly exposed and embarrassed. At that age, you’re beginning to be more aware of how others see you and I didn’t want the teacher to think I was weird. This fear was probably caused by the incident in Grade 3 and wanting to appear ‘normal’. Panicked and thinking I could brush it off, I blurted out, “I wet them because I was hot.” Can you imagineeeee. Who was going to believe that?
Looking back, these moments might seem small or insignificant to someone who’s never had to think twice about shaking a hand, wearing certain shoes, or lifting their arms in public. But when you live with hyperhidrosis, these experiences add up. They shape how you move through the world, the choices you make, and the ways you try to protect yourself from discomfort or judgement. Reflecting on these experiences isn’t about dwelling on embarrassment. It’s about understanding it and realising that you weren’t “weird’ or alone. If any of this felt familiar, I hope it offered a bit of comfort or at least reassurance that someone else gets it.
Remember, there’s 385 million people worldwide who also have hyperhidrosis!
Stay tuned for more parts in this series.
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