What is Facial Hyperhidrosis?
What Is Facial Hyperhidrosis?
Facial relates to the face, and hyper-hidrosis is excessive sweating. So Facial Hyperhidrosis is profuse sweating of the face but it may also affect the neck and scalp. It’s sometimes referred to medically as “craniofacial hyperhidrosis” which encompasses the rest of the head and not just the face. Unfortunately, the image people have of facial hyperhidrosis is of a fat sweaty man constantly wiping his face with a hanky. That stereoype is actually unhelpful because facial hyperhidrosis is actually quite common. Facial hyperhidrosis may also occur with other localized sweating such as Palmar Hyperhidrosis, excess sweating of the hands, Plantar Hyperhidrosis, excess sweating of the feet and Axillary Hyperhidrosis, excess sweating of the underarms.
What Causes Facial Hyperhidrosis?
Like other forms of hyperhidrosis, facial hyperhidrosis is a result of an overactive sympathetic nervous system. Basically, instead of sweating only when the body requires it, a person with facial hyperhidrosis will generate sweat in response to normal situations, even when sweating is not required for body cooling.
What Problems Does Facial Hyperhidrosis Cause?
Probably the most significant problem that facial hyperhidrosis causes is the sheer stress of not knowing when your face may excessively perspire. It could be on the bus or train, in a business meeting or absolutely anywhere and for no good reason. Naturally, this is incredibly stressful for the sufferer. The stress causes a negative feedback loop, whereby stress can trigger or exacerbate the problem of excessive facial sweating.
What Treatments Are There For Facial Hyperhidrosis?
There are broadly three types of treatment for Facial Hyperhidrosis.
- Thoracic Sympathectomy, which is a surgical procedure not widely available, and not to be undergone lightly
- Drugs such as oral anti-cholinergics and beta-blockers which have side effects such as drying out areas you don’t want to be dry!
- Natural hyperhidrosis treatments and remedies that are usually low cost and low risk.
Before considering surgery or drugs, it is strongly advised that someone thinking they have facial hyperhidrosis should consider using natural treatments and remedies and, if they fail, consult a heath professional. We recommend the ebook, “Stop Sweating and Start Living” by Mike Ramsay as a great way to learn all about hyperhidrosis and what you can do to control your sweating naturally and cheaply.