This week I'm mostly being brunette although that is subject to change. Now i've turned 31 and I've ...
This week I'm mostly being brunette although that is subject to change. Now i've turned 31 and I've got my degree I'm trying in vain to look a bit more sophisticated and intelligent...(not that i'm saying blondes are not, of course!)
Member since:17.12.2002
Reviews:83
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Although it hasn't been the long hot summer that we were promised, I for one am grateful because earlier this year I lost control of my body!!! Sadly it wasn't in a very nice way. I suddenly started to sweat! Now I know sweating is normal, but all of my adult sweat producing life I have been very lucky. I've always just applied deodorant in the morning and stayed dry and fresh all day. So to suddenly find myself struggling with wet patches and pongy armpits by lunchtime was to say the least distressing and although I shall apologise in advance for vanity here, proved very annoying by wreaking havoc on some of my nicest clothes from salty sweat patches patches. My sweat problem was indiscriminate of how hot it was, what I was wearing or where I was.
Slippery when wet?
The technical term for excessive sweating is hyperhidrosis and on typing it into Google to find out more I discovered a baffling amount of websites devoted to it. There are a number of variants and causes, which I won't go into here but I found the Hyperhidrosis Support Groups website very useful in explaining the science bit (www.hyperhidrosisuk.org)
So now
I understood a little better what was going on, but stopping it from happening was still a problem. There are a variety of surgical procedures available to help sufferers with much worse symptoms than mine but I was looking for something quick and easy, painless and cheap. The solution I came across ticked most of those boxes…
No sweat?
I found out a couple of my friends had also suffered similar problems in the past and they both independently recommended a product called Driclor. Driclor is a roll on product made up of aluminium chloride available from the chemists and can be bought off the shelf without prescription or online if you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed buying it (quick and easy) and it costs between £3.99 and £5.99 for a 20ml bottle (cheap) That's all but one box ticked…unfortunately the painless box gets a resounding cross! (Sorry if I've spoiled the ending for you now!)
What the makers say
' Combats excessive perspiration. Lasts for days not hours. Driclor Solution has been specifically formulated to treat excessive perspiration. It works by forming a gel matrix in the effected sweat glands, which reduces and eventually stops the flow of sweat. Excess sweat is reabsorbed into the body and disposed of in the normal way. Within just a few weeks of use, excessive perspiration should disappear and sufferers should feel cool and dry. Driclor is suitable for use on all skin types and by anyone for whom traditional anti-perspirants are inadequate.'
Really no sweat! Hooray!
Driclor has to be applied at night before going to bed and washed off in the morning. Friends warned me that it 'tingles' a bit upon application. This seems to be a universal reaction with everyone who uses it, but surely some discomfort is worth it for the results it promises. It is not a traditional deodorant and can be used in conjunction with one. It is allegedly fragrance free (I disagree, although it is not a particularly strong smell just quite chemically, not unpleasant…It couldn't be described as a fragrance so I suppose the makers are right (sort of) it is fragrance free.) One website I checked offered the dire warning that it should not be applied up the nose as it can damage nasal membranes. Thankfully I think cases of sweaty nasal membranes are quite rare so this shouldn't be a problem to many people. Obviously certain fairly common sense precautions must be adhered to, don't apply to broken skin, avoid contact with the eyes, don't shave the area that it is being applied to for 12 hours before applying. It is safe to be used by pregnant and breastfeeding women and has no known reactions with other medicines.
Perspiration Elimination?
But does it work? Yes it most certainly does. I applied it the first night and felt a bit of tingling but nothing too unpleasant, and it did work. Subsequent applications were the same and I noticed that the sweating had stopped. With it my confidence returned and my bulk buying of stain remover sticks for sweat stopped. But sadly there was no happy ending for me. The last time I applied it disaster struck. I got the usual tingle but this time it didn't go away and within an hour my armpits were swollen (not an attractive look I can tell you!) and a red rash was spreading. I had followed the instructions and done nothing differently so this reaction was totally unexplained. It took several days to totally clear up. I have no idea why this happened. People have reported skin sensitivity to the product but normally that kind of reaction is instant. Obviously I had to discontinue using it but I would still recommend it. It didn't work for me ultimately but generally it seems to be worth giving it a go.
The Heat is on…
But what about my sweat problem? It has come back although it took a while and I was harbouring secret hopes that it wouldn't. I'm still looking for a miracle cure. Lush do a bi-card and essential oil based deodorant bar which is fine for around the house because it doesn't stop sweating but it does seem to keep me a little drier and it smells lovely. Any suggestions and tips gratefully received (unless they happen to be like my friend's who came up with the 'cunning plan' to wear small sponges in my armpits to absorb it!!! And desperate as I feel sometimes, I actually considered it!!!)
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I have one question about this product and its use. when apllied and washed off in the morning do you then go and apply your normal deodrant ontop of it or do you not apply anything whilst washed off?
heatherrr13 24.09.2007 11:11
I've recently started using this and it has worked wonders. Unfortunately though, it is starting to make my armpits itch terribly during the night. I'm going to persevere for a while though, it really does work so well.
e.j.kingham 19.09.2006 13:13
You can have your armpit sweat glands removed a la Dermot O'leary but apparently this can lead to excess sweating in places like the lower back and legs to compensate!
Excess sweating, can cause embarrassment and stress which only serves to worsen the ... more
condition Driclor solution has been specifically formulated to treat excessive perspiration. It works by forming a gel matrix in the affected sweat glands
Postage & Packaging: Check Site. Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Excess sweating, can cause embarrassment and stress which only serves to worsen the ... more
condition. Driclor solution has been specifically formulated to treat excessive perspiration. It works by forming a gel matrix in the affected sweat glands Triple Pack ...
Postage & Packaging: Check Site. Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Aug 30th, 2006
very helpful by (100%):
