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If you live with palmar hyperhidrosis (a medical term for excessive sweating of the hands), you know all too well how difficult it is to do fine detailed work with your hands without your sweat interfering. Remi Davis knows this too, yet she’s still pursuing her passion: a career as a digital artist specializing in 2D illustration and character concept art.
In this interview, Karina (Founder of Sweaty Girl Society) sits down with Remi to discuss her experiences as a Sweaty Girl artist and how she’s following her dreams, despite the challenges of hyperhidrosis.
Karina: Let’s start at the beginning. How old were you when you first developed hyperhidrosis and what’s your earliest memory of it?
Remi: I always say to people who ask what it’s like to live with hyperhidrosis: “Wash your hands, and then pat exactly once on a towel. That’s how wet my hands are on a day-to-day basis – constantly and for no apparent reason.”
My hyperhidrosis is genetic, so I’ve had this condition my entire life. In fact, I can’t remember a time where my hands and feet weren’t sweaty!
When I asked my parents about it and how early they noticed it, my father told me that he noticed clammy feet and hands all the way from early childhood. Compared to my younger sister, my feet were always clammy while hers were always dry.
Have you ever received an official diagnosis? If so, how old were you and how did that go?
Remi: I was seeing my dermatologist for an unrelated issue in my early twenties, and at the time had never really considered my sweaty hands and feet a condition. More like a very wet, very unique quirk, and that maybe everyone was sweaty to a degree.
It turns out though the “unrelated” issue was in fact related to hyperhidrosis. I had developed a dyshidrotic eczema rash on my fingers, which I learned is common with palmar hyperhidrosis. This then turned into a fungal condition in the nail bed (also common for people with palmar HH!)
During the visit, my dermatologist noted how sweaty my hands were, and gave me the term hyperhidrosis. I didn’t pursue treatment until years later, when I realized at-home iontophoresis machines existed!
How has living with hyperhidrosis impacted your life?
Remi: Having wet hands growing up definitely impacted me, and made it hard to want to participate in a lot of social situations with my peers.
Holding hands with friends came with an embarrassing excuse that it was “too hot out”, or borrowing a pen meant I had to subtly clean it before passing it back. Even things like shopping – I’ve often bought something I was holding just because my hands got it wet as I was walking around the store.
I really couldn’t do anything hands-on without having to plan and create contingencies for my sweaty hands and how people might react, which definitely added a layer of anxiety. My hands were definitely associated with something gross in my mind for a lot of my life.
What led you to pursue art?
Remi: I’ve had a passion for art from an early age, so navigating my naturally wet hands with such a tactile skill was a challenge.
I started with traditional art throughout early childhood and shifted to digital with my first tablet around age twelve. From there, I kept at it with digital art, upgrading my tools as I aged out of MSPaint to more professional programs and equipment.
Like a lot of artists, I’m self-taught, always honing my skills with online courses from other industry masters and picking up tips and tricks from fellow artists in the fantasy art sphere.
I pretty much turned my hobby into a passion into a career!
Can you talk more about the art you create, the techniques you use, and your inspiration?
Remi: I take a lot of inspiration from artwork found in popular fantasy video games and shows. My earliest influences were online games from my childhood, like Maplestory and Adventure Quest! I’ve always loved how eye-catching and cool the characters looked in media like this, which led me to my career today in character design and illustration.
Over the years, I’ve found I enjoy combining linework techniques with a painted rendering style. This painterly approach I take to my work definitely helps in making quick changes to a design or exploring different iterations.
Currently, I do a lot of work with clients who are fans of Dungeons & Dragons. I absolutely love working with people to help bring an awesome design to life, and there’s no shortage of cool ideas when working in this genre!
How has hyperhidrosis impacted your life as an artist?
Remi: Hyperhidrosis is definitely something I’ve had to consider as an artist.
My earliest hack when drawing with a pencil and paper was to fold my sleeve over my hand so the paper stays dry. When I moved over to a digital tablet, I started to cut holes in socks to use as DIY artist gloves – sometimes layering latex gloves when the sweating was really bad.
Over the years, I thought HH was just something I had to live with. Just this year, I bought a Dermadry iontophoresis device which has proven to be the most effective solution for me so far. Possibly the worst inconvenience that comes with HH as an artist is the need to constantly interrupt the creative flow to get up and wash my hands. Since being treated with iontophoresis, my hands have been consistently dry enough that I can draw for as long as I want without sweat getting in the way!
Do you have any tips for other artists who have hyperhidrosis?
Remi: I think my biggest tip is to keep going. If you’re an artist struggling with HH, know that your work is proof that, despite this condition, your passion is enough to see you through.
Washable drawing gloves are your friend, and explore solutions for hyperhidrosis as early as you can! I’ve found that on my sweatiest days, having a desk fan pointed toward my tablet helped manage and dry my hands as I worked.
What advice would you give your younger self about hyperhidrosis?
Remi: I wish I knew about these terms and online resources way earlier. I grew up believing this condition was something I couldn’t do anything about. I would definitely advise my younger self to learn about HH and how common it really is, and that treatment does exist – you don’t have to resign yourself to having sweaty hands, and there are solutions out there!
Where can people find you online?
Remi: You can find me at my website, https://remidavis.com, which contains my portfolio and contact information.
I also have an Instagram account at @re11arts and a Ko-fi account at @re11 where contributors can see early artwork and doodles not posted to socials!
