Fatima A.

Canada

I started noticing excessive sweating when I was about 12 years old. My hands would constantly be wet and my clothes started getting unusually damp around my armpits. I was afraid of wearing colours as they showed my sweat marks. Every clothing purchase I made, I had to analyze through my sweating issue: Will it make me more sweaty? Will it show my sweat stains? It started affecting my life more and more, and put me into uncomfortable situations with my friends, co-workers, classmates, and other people I interact with. On the bus, every handle and pole i touch becomes slick with sweat, and I’m conscious of holding the straps at the top of the bus since my sweat circles are more apparent when I lift my arms. When going to interviews, I constantly have to excuse myself from shaking the interviewer’s hand by saying, “Sorry, my hands are clammy,” in order to not put them into an uncomfortable situation. When writing tests, my hands leave wet marks on the paper which often smears my written work. My phone rarely recognizes my fingerprint because of the sweat. I am constantly conscious of any sweat smells others may be feeling around me, no matter what and how much deodorant I use. I am in constant need of wiping my hands on a tissue or on my clothes before I touch any objects or hold any for long periods of time.