Intended for healthcare professionals

Living with hyperhidrosis - a junior doctor's experience

I first noticed my axillary hyperhidrosis at the age of 15. I felt dirty, wet and cold all the time and I had a constant paranoia that I smelt and would be judged by my peers. Even in the summer I felt I had to wear a black cardigan to hide my huge sweat patches. My mother had to scrub and bleach my white undergarments, which would stain yellow a few days after purchase. The matter only got worse; it was all I could think about in class. I concurrently suffered from severe acne, for which I was prescribed a course of isotretinoin. I was badly bullied at school for my acne; this plus the hyperhidrosis destroyed my self-esteem.
Dermatology in practice 2015; 21(1): 14–15
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