Piano Forum
Piano Board => Student's Corner => Topic started by: bonjing on June 21, 2009, 01:12:16 AM
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Being a pianist is a tough for me. I have hyperhydrosis which means excessive sweating. I sweat excessively on my palms, feet, arm pit, face, legs,.. I'm not overweight but I know my parents did have excessive sweat when they were young. ANyhow, I just don't feel comfortable when playing on public because I get sweat. I have to wear dark silky clothes to hide the sweat stains. They're not little sweat, I mean HUGE sweat. Both of my underarm and palms are my problems. When practicing either the room temperature are warm/cold, I just can't stop the sweat dripping in my armpit area. It stresses me out too because I usually wear bright shirts then if someone ask me to play I always refused. One time I was wearing a colored shirt then after wards I looked down and saw the sweat stain on my shirt. It was horrible and embarrassing.
I really don't know how to cure this. It affects my playing and I might want to stop playing the piano. ;(
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Antiperspirant?
I don't think anyone is surprised if a performer is sweating. You've got the dark clothes thing down. I can't tell if you're a guy, but either way, a more formal jacket can hide things.
Maybe trying to control the temperature and humidity, if you can. Hot lights don't help at all.
And sometimes you can hide things on a stage, like a fan, handkerchief, or water bottle.
Maybe work on not being nervous. That never hurts.
Otherwise, I have heard you can medical/surgical things done. They can botox the sweat glands or something like that.
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Talk to your doctor, see if you can find a specialist.
In the mean time try not to worry about your appearance. Draw your listeners to the music rather than how you look. Don't be ashamed that you sweat too much. If you make such a fuss about it when you play, people are probably more likely to get distracted by such things. Don't try to deny it either. Just go with the attitude: ok so I sweat but I really want you to listen to this music.
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Yes I turn red like a tomato but I've learned to live with it. 8)
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You won't believe this, but the pubblic is very impressed when they see a pianist or any other musician, in fact, sweating. It's like testimony to the fact that they're really "involved" in music-making and they're getting their money's worth! Really, I'm NOT kidding. You can wipe your hands after every piece or movement with a black silk handkerchief like Michelangeli used to do. Keep it inside the piano. It's very elegant. Accept the fact that you sweat and turn it to your advantage!
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I have no idea how effective or how safe this is but:
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He doesn't seem to let his sweat impede his music making 8)
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Wow. And I bet you the sweat from his nose was dropping on the keys as well!!!!
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It it has come to the point that you are thinking of quitting because of excess sweat, then I would definately go and see a family doctor. A doctor will most definately have some ideas for tackling the problem or he or she will send you to a specialist.