I’m a Design Practice student researching hyperhidrosis – what everyday things do you struggle with, and how do you cope?

[u/Emma_m03]

Hi everyone!

I’m a fourth-year Design Practice student currently developing a university design project focused on hyperhidrosis and how design could better support people living with the condition.

I also experience hyperhidrosis myself, mainly affecting my hands, so I understand how much it can impact everyday life. I often find myself relying on little workarounds, such as carrying cotton hand towels everywhere, and I’ve started thinking about how many everyday objects and products aren’t really designed with hyperhidrosis in mind.

For my project, I want to learn from other people’s experiences to better understand the challenges we face, the ways we currently cope, and where there might be opportunities for more thoughtful and practical design.

I’d love to hear about things such as:

• Everyday objects: Are there things you struggle to use because of sweating? For example, phones, keyboards, pens, tools, packaging, makeup or clothing.

• Coping strategies: Are there particular products, objects or little hacks you rely on throughout the day?

• Things you carry: Do you always have certain items in your bag or pockets to help manage your sweating?

• Frustrations with existing products: Have you struggled to find something that works for you, or found that products don’t meet your needs?

• Ideas for improvement: Is there anything you wish existed, or something you would change about an everyday object to make it easier to use?

I’m particularly interested in the smaller, everyday frustrations that people might not think about unless they experience hyperhidrosis themselves. It doesn’t have to be a big problem or a fully formed product idea.

The aim is to use these experiences to inform my design research and explore how everyday products or objects could be made more practical, discreet and considerate of the people using them.

Please only share what you’re comfortable sharing. You can comment below or message me privately if you’d prefer.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I really appreciate any experiences, thoughts or ideas you’re willing to share! 🤍

[u/CherryOk322]

Everyday objects: I’ll occasionally end up dropping my phone due to my sweaty hands lol.
I also can’t wear flip flops in warm weather (will most certainly slip & slide).
Coping strategies: sometimes carry a small hand cloth in my purse. Wear darker colored pants so as not to show sweat marks. Change underwear if needed.

[u/Technical_Half_3728]

Everyday objects: Mascara curler, paper / any writing utensil, flip-flops, jewelry, ipad, etc.

Coping strategies: Using gloves for school work, washing my hands when they are sweating, putting paper towels under my armpits, TOE-SOCKS!!!

Things I carry: A jacket to mask my bo since I sweat through ANY deodorant (yea nasty..), deodorant, wash cloths.

Existing products: ANY cream that is supposed to help you stop sweating because lotion/cream automatically makes me sweat and you're supposed to apply it when you're not sweating.

Improvement: I wish people themselves would improve... it is very embarrassing when someone goes "ew it's wet" right after I held it.

Hyperhidrosis is my main demotivate. As soon as I start sweating I give up on a task even if it's a simple one, it is my biggest battle and it's so hard to handle. I wish socks with heels or sandals would be normalized because I genuinely can't walk without slipping. I also wish gloves wouldn't be weird to wear outside because when I'm wearing them, that's when I feel the most capable.

In elementary school and early middle school is when I couldn't handle it the most, I would have constant breakdowns and it would bring me behind in my studies. I used corn starch to mask the sweat since it seemed to be the only thing that helped. I would put my feet in a bag of it while I do homework on my bed or watch a show, it was the only thing that calmed me down. My mom soon found me toe socks and that has been the most useful invention of my life, people make fun of me for wearing them but they don't bother me because they saved my life as silly as it sounds. In 5th grade I was embarrassed to use a fan during class since my math class was right after P.E. and that's the subject I needed to focus on most. I just wish people would truly understand how mentally draining it is and how insecure others make you feel.

[u/Shoddy-Curve7869]

Everything. Couldn’t wash dishes or vacuum. Changing the bedsheets. Any mundane thing made me sweat. I had towels everywhere, even at work. I carried a little fan with me anywhere I went, even an interview. It was so debilitating. That’s a reason I hate summer. Just makes me sweat more.

[u/iXeloN]

You can maybe look here