I recently encountered a young woman who wanted a French set of gels for her vacation.  I was more than happy to oblige.  As I checked her nails before going under the LED, I noticed that I could see the nail at the cuticle without any product.  All five nails!  The gel had pulled away from the cuticle or the product was separating.  I apologized, removed the gel, cleaned the nail and reapplied the base coat.  Thinking, ‘I might not have removed all of the oil from the nail plate.’  Again, the product pulled away from the cuticle.  I noticed she kept wiping her palms on the towel.  This time, I thought some nail filings was bothering her.  She admitted that her hands and feet sweat a lot,  all the time. She was my first client to want gels with “sweaty palms”.  However, I’ve had many clients that has moist hands or sweaty palms.  My mind was racing.  ‘How was I going to make this lady happy with her set of French gels?’

This condition is known as Palmer Hyperhidrosis.  Excessive hand sweating can be a serious problem both in social settings and everyday functional activities such as opening a door, writing a paper, driving, computer usage or signing your name. These are just a few examples of how palmar hyperhidrosis can affect a person.  Many activities we often take for granted.

Normally, your sweat glands produce perspiration that’s carried to the skin’s surface when the air temperature rises, you develop a fever, you’re exercising or you’re feeling anxious, nervous, or under stress. When those factors are no longer an issue, the nerves that signal sweating are put on hold.  But, not for those that suffer with “sweaty palms” and feet.

Part II next week