I am 63 and for the last 22 years have suffered with excessive sweating on my head and face, which seems to be getting worse. This is uncomfortable and embarrassing. If I do anything even slightly energetic (hoovering, ironing etc.) it is worse, and it takes a long time for me to cool down. I was referred to a dermatologist who prescribed pills, which just dried up my eyes (red, sore and bloodshot within 30 mins) and mouth (making it impossible to eat or even speak). She point blank refused to consider any other treatment, even telling me botox does not work for the face, which i know is untrue. This condition, to other people, seems trivial but it is not. In the summer I cannot go outside, so I can't even play with my grandchildren. I certainly couldn't go out shopping or to a social event, the sweat drips off me and my hair is drenched within minutes. I obviously cannot use make-up, or even have a decent hairstyle, which zaps the confidence. I do have a thyroid problem but that is well controlled. I am a little overweight but not much. I have other non-related medical conditions (arthritis, fibromyalgia). Has anyone any experience of the new gadget around which includes a mask for the face, plugged into a machine - sorry I can't remember the name of it. I know they are very expensive but I am desperate. Any helpful tips would be great. Thank you.
I forgot to say, the pills prescribed did not stop or even slow down the sweating.
Gill, did you have Oxybutilin?
Hi Tina, yes I did, have you tried it, and did it work for you?
Hi gill, I too suffer this, as well as fibromyalgia and arthritis. Mine is genetic, medication related and fibromyalgia related. I have no doubt yours will be partly fibromyalgia related too. You can get a prescription product called glycopyrrolate in topical form that helps with craniofacial hyperhydrosis, which is what we have. I'm yet to try it, but all the reading I've done is positive and side effects are minimal to nil as you're applying the medication rather than ingesting it. I can't take any meds that dry me up, as I'm already on similar ones for other reasons. So I manage my sweating without meds. I wear colorful bandanas everyday, folded up to be about a 2 inch wide strip and I wear them on my upper forehead just on and below the hairline. It's pretty simple, just get a normal square cotton (cotton is best) bandana and fold into a triangle. Bring the top point of the triangle down to meet the middle of the bottom straight section, then roll/fold from the top town in about 2 inch widths till its one long strip, put in place, tie behind your head and you're done. I do find tying it a bit awkward, but I solved this by tying it moderately tight, removing the whole thing, getting the hair uncaught from the knot and then slip it back on. To avoid looking like a hippy, pull it down to your neck, pull all hair through and put it back on so it's under your hair. Looks pretty much like a headband then. It absorbs sweat all day and stops my hair and face from dripping. Sometimes I need to change it in hot weather, but mostly it lasts all day. I keep 2 on the go as it often takes 2 days for one to dry. I wear mine 2-3x each before washing, but that's dictated by smell. Hope this helps. -Ros
Yes and for me they have been fantastic! They have changed my life - I take 2 When I wake. This last until around mid afternoon. If I'm just at home I often don't bother now as it has slowed up the sweats now. I have been on it for almost a year. I only get a slghtly dry mouth, if I use 2-3 doses a day. then I eat tic tacs or gum and have water on me. I wonder if you were presribed too strong a dose?
Thank you, and I'm so glad you have relief from this dreadful condition. Sadly, i find that putting anything on my head makes the problem worse, it's confusing, because they say we should wear hats to keep the heat from escaping in cold weather, and with me they do just that, so the heat is trapped and the problem worse. I did make myself a light towelling bandana once, lasted about 5 seconds! But thank you for trying to help me. I just had my hair cut really short, but within minutes of 'over-heating' my hair was drenched. Cheers, Gill
Hi Tina, I'm so pleased it works for you, maybe the dose i was prescribed was too strong, i will check with my doctor. Thank you! Gill
Hi gill, I am in the same position you are with the sweating of my face and hair. No one seems to have any answers. This keeps me from doing almost everything I enjoy. I to have fibromyalgia, have had it for 15 years. I can be doing nothing and all of a sudden I start sweating and it gets so bad most of the time that I am dripping. I am really at a loss on how to get help with this. Any info you might have would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Bonnie, I wish i could pass on some tips for you, this condition stops me from doing the things i enjoy too, but if i do find something i will definitely let you know. Best wishes, Gill
I live in USA and do not always have the same options as you do and vice versa. I never heard of a face mask. I sweat, head , face , chest, legs groin, mostly when sleeping. Hot or cold, I still sweat. It started when I went thru menopause and just got worse as time went by. Doctors either don't get it or don't care. No one has really done anything to help me. There is a new Hyperdydrosis clinic in our hospital I am going to call and see what they say. If it's not , armpits, hands or feet it is called Secondary a Hyperhydrosis for which there seems to be no help. I stay home have lost friends, do nothing because it is a terrible illness and yes, it is an illness. I am 68 and feel I will be dead and sweating in my grave!! Good luck....
Hi, this is Eileen 11130 again. I meant to ask , do you sweat at night? I sweat all night long. I change clothes 4-5, times and am constantly soaked. I wear cotton twirl use like you would after you wash your hair nd change then several times a night also. I am always tired as I never sleep and entire night. I also have RA , OA, Fibro, and PMR. For which I take meds. Take care......
Hi Eileen, the face mask is part of a machine which is plugged in and delivers small electric shocks to the affected areas, i wish i could remember what it is called. I do know they are very expensive. I asked for botox and was told it didn't work for sweating - well, it does! They just don't want to give it to me on the NHS because it is so expensive. I agree with you, sadly this IS an illness with devastating 'side effects', i.e. loss of social life and unable to do anything in the warm weather - and I don't mean hot weather, I mean warm. I don't sweat at night, mercifully, but i have a lightweight duvet. My armpits, feet etc. don't sweat at all, nor my hands, which are always very dry. I wish the health professionals would realise this is not just bothersome, but crippling. No, there is no pain, but i would not wish this on my worst enemy. I too suffer from fibromyalgia and RA, and sometimes i think i will stop taking all the meds and see if that helps. I would seriously prefer pain that the discomfort and embarrassment of this horrible illness. I hope you find some relief, let me know if you do, and of course i will do the same. Take care, Gill
Gill, I'm not sure where you live, but I'm Australian and as most people know we have just about the hottest summers of any country on the planet. I sweat all year round, even in the dead of winter, but in summer my life is unbearable. We get many days above 30 degrees Celsius and some over 40! The cotton rolled bandanas last me through a summer day where I'm sedentary, I often need to change if I'm active, but in the really dry heat (which most of the heat thankfully is in southern parts of Australia) the bandana often dries up partly so it lasts all day. Honestly give it a try, I can soak a face flannel by mopping my face all day if I don't wear the bandana, but with it, my hair usually stays dry and the sweat rarely gets past it. Like you I barely sweat from my armpits or hands. But I sweat badly from my shoulders, back, groin and behind the knees. It's so debilitating as you can't go out in public with it. I have to wear a singlet or two shirts in summer so the sweat doesn't soak the top shirt too much, but then I get too hot! I don't think people really understand how debilitating craniofacial hyperhydrosis is! Ask your doc about the glycopyrrolate lotion and wipes, I'm going to get some next time I see my GP as I've had enough and I can't take oxybutynin because of other meds I'm on. The electro face stimulation device is expensive from what I've heard and you must continue treatment at whatever intervals they recommend for you, for life and I believe the sessions take a while to complete. The glycopyrrolate can be obtained on prescription so costs the same as any other meds and you can put it on and miss days and it will still work. It can be worn under make up and takes as long as face cream to apply. Hence I've decided which treatment I want. I think you said you were told they can't botox sweat glands on the head/face, that's crap, I've read studies on that form of treatment. Plus botox in it's traditional use for eliminating face wrinkles. Find another specialist if you want to go the botox method, apart from the expense, I've heard it's very effective. Good luck hun
Bonnie, try the folded bandana I mentioned in my original reply to Gill. It's worth a try, it helps me immensely!
I sweat within minutes of showering, regardless of the weather, I can't dry off because I sweat before I get there. I use corn starch talcum powder (not regular talc only the one made from corn starch as it's more absorbant and safer in the groinal region) all over my body in order to get dressed. I use it heavily in my groin and under my breasts. My armpits don't sweat much, so regular deoderant works there. Australia recently put the prescription strength antiperspirants on the shelves in the supermarkets, I bought one and tried it on my neck and chest area as this is where I sweat most at night and it really did work. So between the clinical strength antiperspirants (that's what they're called), regular antiperspirants, talc and perfume, oh and my folded bandana on my head (see my first comment above) I manage my hyperhydrosis reasonably OK. I can't shower more than twice to three times a week as they tire me out and make me dizzy and it's dangerous as I've almost passed out numerous times all thanks to the fibromyalgia!! But I wash every day and now thanks to the clinical strength antiperspirants, I don't sweat as much at night, making me smell better during the day. I hope something I've said is helpful to one of you.
Hi gill22568, I feel your pain. I am 54 yr with fibro and am going thru menopause. I just want to review some basic living modifications in case you may have missed something. I moved to Hawaii where in summer our humidity can be 85% and up in Aug and sept. I no longer drink regular coffee or tea-switch to decaf and iced. Regular messes with the body's thermostat. Also I was told that India some people only eat sweets in the winter because they warm up the body.
My Dr told me to avoid anything with a sleeve, even a cap sleeve can push you over the edge. I now wear tennis skorts and athletic tops because the fabrics absorb sweat, never look wet and dry very rapidly. Halo headbands are made of the same material but include a thin band that prevents sweat from getting in your eyes. Carry a battery operated fan (a srrong quiet one)to all events as well as a bottle of ice water. The fan can be set on a table or in your lap discreetly. Sandals are all I wear.
Errands and chores are done early in the morning including preparing for cooking the evening meal.
In the house, start up the fan/ac before you get overheated or feel warm. I rest from the heat of the day from 2 pm until supper.
At night, I use the a/c and a fan in the bedroom and a penguin cool mat that is refrigerated an hour before lights out. Then (or if it's really humid) I switch the a/c to the dehumidifier option and turn off the fan. The dehumidifier is a warmer temp than the a/c but still dries the air. The cool mat is the diameter of a standard pillow but will stay cold for about one hour-great to help fall asleep. I had to figure out that from my thighs down I needed an extra blanket compared to my thighs up to mid back. My shoulders and neck need nothing on them and sometimes my arms also need nothing. I also have a remote controlled fan so I could set it to stay on for so many hours when I need it.
All these changes have improved my quality of life enough that I don't feel like I have to quit participating in life. The products I've mentioned I found on amazon and I buy my athletic wear from Ross and tjmaxx which saves me hundreds of dollars.
I hope this helps somewhat.
Forgot to mention I no longer take hot showers but take lukewarm to cool. Use the hairdryer on a lower temp without drying completely and keep hair short or up.
Makeup: waterproof everything! And carry golfers hand towels for mopping the face.
Most important of all! A sense of humor ♡
Dear gill22568,
I just wanted to say a huge thank you.
I have suffered with excessive facial , scalp and head sweats for as long as I can remember and it was taking over my life.
Doctors and Hospital Consultants put it down to General Anxiety Disorder but I knew it was't.
After seeing your post I went to the doctor and asked if I could give Oxybutinin a go. He agreed (even though it isn't licenced for CH) and it has changed my life. Thank you so much gill22568, you are an angel x
It's great to find a forum, not only of people with hyperhidrosis, but specifically, craniofacial hyperhidrosis. We face (pun intended) a different kind of embarrassment from those with sweaty hands and feet. Not to minimize anyone's issues. But it is different.
I'm a 53 year old female and I've had craniofacial hyperhidrosis (severe sweating of the head and face) for most of my adult life. I've been to doctors. I've tried the medications. I've tried just about everything but no relief. I can't wear makeup, I despise getting dressed up when I know my clothes will be soaked in 20 minutes. But most of all, I hate having to try to convince people I'm not some kind of crack-whore 
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The best way I can describe this feeling is claustrophobic. When the temp in your house is 60 degrees and you're laying naked under the ceiling fan set on high and you still can't stop sweating, it feels like you'll never stop and you're trapped. I envy people that are always cold. I'd gladly put on more clothes but I can only get so naked.
Last week I went to see a thoracic surgeon. I had to wait in the exam room for 45 minutes but that turned out to be a good thing. Because as I sat there, doing absolutely nothing, I started sweating. And like most of you have described, once it starts, there's no stopping it. The doctor came in and shook my hand and said, "whoa, you got a problem!" He noted that my hands were completely dry but he had never seen anyone sweat so much on their head and face. I told him to step back because sometimes it's projectile sweating 
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Anyway, he told me he could help me by doing a bilateral sympathectomy. It's a relatively straight-forward procedure where they interrupt the sympathetic nerve chain around the top of the 2nd or 3rd rib. It's minimally invasive but not without risk. Get more info at http://www.sts.org/patient-information/other-types-surgery/hyperhidrosis. I've been reading up on it and have found that it has been miraculous for some who have undergone the procedure while it has destroyed the lives of others.
I guess it's a personal decision but I think I'm going to do it. I'm tentatively scheduled for 10/6/2015. I'll write back and report on the results. In the meantime, anyone else done the surgery, and if so what were your results?