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Good, Bad or Bogus Product? Let's Find Out!
Several times a year, the International Hyperhidrosis Society (IHHS) is asked to check out promising new consumer products designed to help manage hyperhidrosis. We want to spread the news within our community about these products. But first we have to know how well they work -- which is why we are creating the our first-ever Sweat Testers Review Panel, comprised of the people who know best: You!
"While we are certainly blessed at IHHS with a willing staff who can help us review these products, the people who know best about consumer product effectiveness are those who actually suffer with the condition," says IHHS Executive Director, Lisa Pieretti. "To that end, we are looking for a wide range of hyperhidrosis sufferers - teenagers who are at least 14, as well as adults, male and female, sufferers of underarm hyperhidrosis, as well as those who suffer from head/face, hands, feet, and all-over hyperhidrosis."
Panelists will be asked to review no more than a few products per year. Those reviews will then be published in upcoming newsletters and on our SweatHelp.org Web site. From time to time, says Pieretti, the panel may also be called on to participate in brief opinion polls or reader interest surveys.
"Everybody wins," says Pieretti. "Our consumer panel gets new products to try. The rest of our community gets quality feedback to help them make good choices when considering products to help them in their daily lives."
The IHHS Has a Responsibility
The IHHS takes seriously its role at the center of the hyperhidrosis community, where sufferers go for trusted, well-researched and up-to-the-minute information related to hyperhidrosis support and treatment. Part of our mission includes acting as a clearinghouse for the many products and medical treatments that promise to manage hyperhidrosis symptoms.
If you see medical treatments such as Botox and iontophoresis discussed on our Web site, it is only because these treatments have been carefully studied and clinically tested and approved, not only by our own world-renowned board of dermatologists, but by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and dermatologists worldwide.
We recently created our Seal of Recognition program for over-the-counter antiperspirants that meet or exceed IHHS and/or FDA standards for their sweat-fighting abilities. This spring, our first award went to Procter & Gamble's Secret Clinical Strength, a product deemed excellent only after our Board carefully researched its ingredients, efficacy data, safety elements, and clinical claims.
As for other non-medical products, the IHHS does not shy away from discussing those we believe are worthy of consideration. Among our favorite products are the Original PEET Shoe Dryer, which uses thermal convection to dry the insides of sweaty shoes; Summer Soles peel-and-stick absorbent shoe liners for sweaty feet; and a variety of computer keyboard covers, both disposable and long-lasting, which protect keyboards from excessively sweating hands. We even go so far as to help offer a discount on some products, such as the aforementioned Summer Soles, in our Deals and Discounts area.
We also do not avoid reviewing products we are not so crazy about, including the book Stop Sweating and Start Living: A Practical Guide to Ending Your Sweating Problem Naturally, by Mike Ramsey of Humble, Texas. The author of the 14-page e-book, which costs $34.95 to download, says the book has been endorsed by the IHHS, when it has not. A review of the book by an IHHS staffer actually says that it comes up short. The book's triple approach (shunning soap, quitting antiperspirants, and using a loofah under the arms) does not work, writes the author of the review, a stance supported by IHHS Board Member Dr. Dee Anna Glaser.
Teaming with our staff and our medical Board of Directors, the Sweat Testers review panel will add a third layer to our review process. Readers interested in reviewing products should e-mail support@SweatHelp.org (type "Sweat Testers" in the subject field) by the end of September, with their names, ages and contact information, along with background information about their experiences with hyperhidrosis. We particularly need to know what areas of their bodies are most affected by sweating so we can send the products that are most relevant. (Underarm products will go to underarm sufferers, hand products will go to those who suffer from palmar hyperhidrosis, etc.) Once we choose a panel for each product under review, we will let panelists know when to expect their first product and when we need their review information.
Our first exciting new products will be two different kinds of gloves generously donated for our review by Occupational Textiles Solutions LLC. Designed to either be worn on their own or under latex or rubber gloves (for electricians, plumbers and medical and other practitioners), the gloves promise to help people who suffer from palmar hyperhidrosis. The first pair, called Cotton Stretch DUGS, is made of cotton and Spandex and is designed to absorb moisture. The second is COOLMAX, made of Spandex and a special COOLMAX fiber designed to wick moisture away. Both sets of gloves can either be single-use or multi-use, says company President Annie Golding.
"A person could wear one or the other to help manage their symptoms of excessive sweating," says Golding.
Other products we plan to review soon include Garment Guard underarm shields developed by The Pond, Inc. and The BedFan Personal Cooling System, a sleek cooling system that fits at the foot of the bed between the sheets to push out the heat that gets trapped under blankets. Night sweating is not a common symptom for people with primary hyperhidrosis, which is defined as an excessive sweating problem unrelated to any other medical condition. But people with secondary hyperhidrosis, which is excessine sweating related to an underlying medical condition or a medication, may sweat at night and need relief.
Once panelists receive the products, they will have 10 days to review and answer pre-established questions such as: How easy was the product to use? How effective was it? Would you recommend it to a friend? What improvements would you suggest? Is it worth the money?
Reader comments will be published on our Web site (www.SweatHelp.org) and in upcoming editions of our Sweat Solutions newsletter. (If you're not subscribed, go to http://www.sweathelp.org/English and subscribe for free!)
Panelists, free to opt out at any time, would never be asked to test a medical product such as Botox, or even a topically applied ointment. As mentioned above, the IHHS absolutely will not discuss medical products without our physician Board of Director's review and/or published findings in scientific literature. Nor would we ask the reader review panel to consider products that make false or unrealistic claims. Before considering a product for reader review, the IHHS will contact the company making the product and review product literature to try and ensure the product is worthy of the Society and the panel's consideration.
We hope you are as excited about this as we are. We look forward to hearing from readers who want to participate.
We also welcome communication with manufacturers of consumer products designed to help people with hyperhidrosis. Contact Executive Director Lisa Pieretti at LJP@ihhs.net if you want your product in the queue for upcoming review!
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Find a doctor who treats excessive sweating. |
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