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Puberty can be an exciting time of self-discovery and experiencing new moments you’ll remember for the rest of your life. These formative years are so important in building a person’s confidence and preparing them for life outside of school. Unfortunately, when a teenager suffers from a medical condition like hyperhidrosis, these years of opportunity can become an awkward time.

In this article, we’re exploring how hyperhidrosis can affect young people and the treatment options available.

What Causes Teen Sweating?

Increased sweating is a common side effect of puberty. When our bodies begin to change and develop into adulthood, 3 million sweat glands start to work harder, particularly in the armpits, palms, soles of the feet, and groin. Sweating can be a sign of nervousness – something that we have all experienced in our stressful and embarrassing moments as teenagers.

Both our flight-or-fight response and our sweat glands are controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, meaning we’re bound to sweat more when we’re fearful, arguing with others, eating certain foods, or getting ready to go on our first date. This is normal; however, some teenagers suffer worse than others.

Hyperhidrosis is more common than you think. This medical condition is characterised by overactive sweat glands, especially present in moments when you shouldn’t be sweating at all. The sympathetic nervous system can commonly be the cause of excessive underarm sweat (axillary hyperhidrosis) or excessive hand sweating (palmoplantar hyperhidrosis).

When this condition is mismanaged or untreated, there can be devastating effects on the patient’s daily life.

Side Effects of Hyperhidrosis in Teens

Sweating can be very embarrassing. Excessive sweating can stain clothing and hold a person back from certain opportunities. Some teens can suffer serious physical consequences, including not being able to shake hands, hold a pen still, or grip a steering wheel. Something that is rarely explored is the effect of excessive sweating on a person’s psyche.

Some of the social and psychological side effects of hyperhidrosis in teenagers include:

• Low self-confidence
• Teasing and bullying
• Self-isolation
• Distraction from schoolwork
• Depression

Treating Hyperhidrosis in Teenagers

It’s important to know the difference between normal sweating and excessive sweating before choosing the right treatment. Some people find that clinical antiperspirants and sweat-proof undershirts are how to stop armpit sweat. As a teenager, you may benefit from medical treatment if you are constantly wiping away sweat, changing your clothes multiple times a day, avoiding touching others, or finding it hard to concentrate.

Whether you suffer from sweaty armpits or sweaty hands, there are effective and safe treatments available. For armpits, we recommend the MiraDry system that permanently destroys sweat glands, odour glands, and hair follicles. For hands and the face, we recommend endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) which interrupts the nerves responsible for hand sweating.

The team at Perth Sweat Clinic can help you understand, diagnose, and choose a treatment for your hyperhidrosis. Stop holding yourself back from enjoying your teenage years and get in touch with our medical professionals today. You can call us on 1300 079 328 or send us a message online.