Hey guys, so today I want to talk about a personal issue I have. A super embarrassing, mortifying health condition that I have tried to cover up for years. It is called hyperhidrosis, and it is basically the condition of excessive sweating, your body is trying to cool your body temperature down by releasing sweat. You can have it anywhere on your body, but mine is only under my arms.
It started a few years ago, and just has increased over the years. It never was a huge issue until this year. Over the summer it just got insanely worse out of nowhere. To the point where even sitting in an air conditioned room, I would be dripping sweat down my arms, praying no one notices. It was completely mortifying. And because of this, it has affected how I dress.
I used to be able to wear anything, but now I would only wear tank tops, or sweatshirts, which I even sweat through those. If I wore a shirt, it would be either white, dark blue or purple, or black, so if I did sweat, it was hard to notice. But even then, I would be mortified to hug anyone in fear they felt my sweaty under arms. I can not wear grey at all. Because when grey gets wet, it just turns darker and way more noticeable! It made shopping suck and I never wanted to go. It's one thing to sweat at the gym, but when you only sweat under your arms, it is still embarrassing. Sit ups don't make you sweat profusely under your arms. It felt like no place was safe!
Then I started thinking about winter, and how I was not going to be able to wear anything after how bad it was over summer! I have cried many days over this. I have tried every woman's, man's, homeopathic, organic, prescription deodorant out there and nothing helped. I thought I was out of options and just never going to be able to wear anything cute again!
I had heard about botox in your armpits, but there was no way I could pay $1000! So I dismissed the idea a few years ago, then I looked into it this summer to see if anything new has come out. Then I discovered now it is considered a medical condition and most insurances cover it. So I went into my Dr. and asked her about it and she said to go to the Dermatologist and see if it could be covered. So I did, and they gave me all the diagnosis and procedure codes. I called my insurance and GLORY HALLELUJAH, it was covered!! I cried, I was so happy about this. I know how this has just chipped away at my self esteem and just given me anxiety and paranoia every hr every day. It truly was an answer to my prayer.
So today, I went in to have it done. Now there's only one way you put botox in, shot! I did make it out to be bigger than it was when it came to pain. They put an ice bag on one arm at a time, then had two different shots that they used. They started at the top of my armpit and went around in a circle and did small amount injections all the way around. Most of them I barely felt, or didn't hurt. It seemed the further away from the center of my armpit, towards the outside of their circle, it was the most painful. If I did feel it, it was like a pinch burn. It would just give me a sour face for .2 seconds. So the pain is completely tolerable. Then they went to the other arm, and by the time they got there, I think the ice numbness wore off a bit. So I felt every shot that time, and it was more painful. But still, it was not that bad. I honestly would rather get that then go to the dentist and get their shot! It is not even as bad as a pinch or finger poke. Each needle ended up doing about 10-15 pokes. So about 20-30 tiny pokes per arm, so 40-60 total. Sounds like a lot, but it goes super fast! Once I sat in the chair, the whole thing lasted maybe 15 minutes start to walking out of the room. So simple, easy, and fast! My Dr. even cracked quite a few jokes and told me not to sweat it! Hardy har har!
You will bleed a little bit, but not much and before you leave the room it stops. I can't work out for 48 hours and when I shower, I have to shave and pat dry very very gently. I also have to apply deodorant very gently as well for the next 48 hrs. He said it will take about two days to set in completely, so I could push it around if I push too hard. And that I may feel a little irritated and sore today. Depending on how bad the condition is, this will last 9-12 months! YES!
So I am a little sore and irritated, but man this was BEYOND worth it. I am so excited to see how it works, I don't think it will completely stop all the sweat, like working out, but it will be insurmountably smaller! I already feel so much more confident and am excited to get some cute clothes this winter!
So for anyone out there dealing with this, don't think you are the only one! I feel your pain and I understand how mortifying this is, I didn't even tell anyone besides my mom or my husband until I found out I could get the botox. I hid it for over 4 years! Just know, it is worth investigating to see if you can get the botox! Start with your regular Dr. to get a referral to a Dermatologist that works with your insurance and go from there!
I know many of you may question using botox, and it's ok I understand. It's not for wrinkles or to get a face lift. It's a medical treatment. They also use botox for chronic migraines too. I am not doing it for cosmetic reasons, it's for medical reasons. You have to do what's best for yourself, and for me this was a last resort. It literally affected every hour of my life and it's hard to understand how embarrassing it is unless you have it. It is nothing like normal sweat, think how much you sweat in a day and multiply it by about 100 and that's what we deal with. I wish I didn't have to resort to something invasive, but if it works, I am game!
I hope this post is helpful for some, and it is a relief to be able to finally talk about it! I know people don't love me because of how much I sweat, but it's still not something you just bring up in conversation!
Anyone else dealt with this? Or have you dealt with something else super embarrassing and want to talk about it? Don't be afraid!
Posts
