Airing your flaws out on the world wide web is terrifying. There, I said it. (Phew... sigh of relief to just say it out loud via keyboard strikes, of course)
No but really, I have really struggled with this post because honestly it is a touchy subject for me. But, ultimately I decided to go forward with it- on the hope that I might help someone else out there who suffers from extreme underarm sweating. Or Hyperhydrosis if you want to get fancy.
For me sweating started in Junior High, as it does for most pubescent tweens, but I noticed right away that it wasn't the same for me as it was for my friends. I was noticeably more sweaty than the other girls on my cheer squad- and I'll never forget the shame I felt the first time a boy (who shall remain nameless, but you better believe I still know who it was, 20 years later) pointed out the rings of moisture I had under my arms on my shirt. Devastated, my wardrobe quickly evolved to include only dark colors. I have lots of horror stories actually, but I'd rather not relive them- and I can only type the word 'sweat' so many times in a day.
Fast forward a few years and I had learned to handle the sweating, knowing that stress and nervousness are major triggers for me. I worked on keeping myself calm and planning ahead for stressful situations, but I also had tried almost every type of antiperspirant out there. And while I had found products that helped, I still dealt with the sweating daily.
Desperate for a better solution, I began researching the use of Botox to combat extreme sweating. The chemical known for temporarily paralyzing facial muscles in most of Hollywood, also can be used to shut down sweat glands in the underarms. But after some serious soul searching, I decided that injecting Botulism into my underarms was not the route for me- especially seeing as I have since breastfed two babies, it made me more comfortable knowing those chemicals could never be introduced into my child.
About a year ago, while cruising through a daily-deal site, I saw an offer from Sweatblock. The product promised to stop underarm sweating for 7 DAYS with each use. Intrigued, I hopped online and did some research. While their website looks 'info-mercial/salesy', the testimonials from users were powerful, and the product had also been seen and tested on the Rachel Ray and Today shows. So, with a little hope I clicked 'buy' and my life has been different ever since.
Sweatblock is different because it is a liquid form of aluminum chloride at 14%, which is the highest percentage I have seen, but it still falls within the FDA guidelines for safety- especially because it is only applied once per week. It is applied using individual towellettes at night time about every seven days, when your body is resting and not usually sweating. The product temporarily shrinks down the sweat glands, inhibiting the over-production of perspiration. You still use a typical deodorant daily so you don't cause fainting in a crowded elevator, but the product is powerful and effective.
Do I still sweat sometimes? Of course. Sweating is part of life, it is natures way of cooling and is essential for our health. But do I walk around with my arms slightly raised hoping to catch a breeze, or make a pitstop at the ladies room hand dryer on the daily? No. And that is worth every penny.
Hope this honest and embarrassing confession helps someone out there. If you know someone who might benefit from my experience, please share this with them. Let's hang out on facebook too, I promise not to stink up your timeline (bwahh hahh hah, sweat joke :)
I think I could have typed this verbatim based on my experience! I too am an excessive sweat-er. I finally asked my doctor about prescription deodorant and have been using Drysol for 2 years now. It is similar in nature to the product you tried. I use it only once every few days and it totally does the trick. I can wear whatever I want now with confidence!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Meg! I actually did try Drysol, but had some bad reactions to it, like rash type cracked skin... boo. I am pretty sensitive skinned, so that has been tricky- but I am so glad there are options out there for us gals. Thanks for reading hope to see you here again soon! -Megan
DeleteSooo I have hyperhydrosis in my hands, feet and to a somewhat lesser degree in my armpits. I have used botox in my hands and armpits...and it is painful. The effects of the botox on my hands actually made my hand muscles weaker, and made it hard to write believe it or not. They will not inject botox in the feet per FDA, so had to tough that out on my own. That being said...I have used Drysol as well and it made me ITCH terribly! Very interested in this product you have mentioned here on the blog! Willing to try almost anything to stop the 'Salamander' effect ha ha ha!
ReplyDeleteCheck out their website to see what info you can find for hand and feet use. (I have not used it in that way so I am not sure) There are lots of testimonials too that may have some good info from people using Sweat Block on their hands and feet. Thanks for sharing and for reading, good luck!!!
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