i have had this for over 30years been to doctors dermatologists and had surgery twice i shower every day have tried antibacterial soaps anti biotics everything nowt seems to work drs just seem to say its a very dificult thing to treat anyone with a treatment that helped i would love to know of it as i often have boils the size of agolf ball thanks

hi, i watched the programe a few days ago and was so shocked to see the lady with HS iv suffered with symtoms like this for as long as i can remember and im 22!!! i was so releaved to see this on the telly as iv never had a answer for it!!!! i have now booked in to see my doctor and feel confident to go in and tell him about what iv learnt from your show!! fingers crossed it gets sorted out, its been far to long for me all this discomfort and im greatful to your show for giving me hope thanks xxxx

Jenny,

I'm not sure of the exact cause of HS, but I'm pretty sure it is related to our hormones. Like you, I am also worse right before my period. Also the closer I get to menapause (I'm 50 now) the less severe my symptoms are. When I first developed HS at age 40 it was very bad, especially under my arms. I was in constant pain and had drainage every day. Now, except from all the scarring, I am virtually pain free and rarely do I even think about it except right before my period. I would recommend JASONS Tea Tree Satin body wash when showering. It's great. Best of luck to you.

Hello Once Again

I have left several comments on here about HS and feel I have to leave yet more input.
I wish the Medics / Scientists WOULD DO MORE RESEARCH to discover the ACTUAL reason for this condition.
I am a 55 year old woman who has suffered this condition for more than 30 years.
Now then lets get one thing clear , when I first developed this disease I was NOT overweight . In fact my weight was always steady between 8 stones and 8st 4pounds which was fine for my height of 5ft 1".
I had been a very active person . I kept fit , ate well ,bathed frequently and did everything the right way yet I still developed HS.
I was initially told that it was down to excessive sweating. Untrue!!! I was in fact quite the opposite and was one of the fortunate people who didn't sweat much at all. Then it was decided that I had HS because I DIDNT sweat much . According to the medics my sweatglands had to be "blocking" then. In fact ,my sweat factor was no less or no more than pretty average.
After that theory was exhausted I was then told it was all down to a form of Acne . Next I was told it was caused by ingrown hairs and infected follicles. Then I was told it was a "woman thing" and was caused by hormones.
So,if its a "woman thing" can anyone tell me how men and children also suffer from HS?
Like many people I have taken antibiotic therapies . I have now stopped as they don't work. They give the sufferer the impression that the condition could be easing somewhat but the minute the person stops the antibiotics the condition returns usually worse than before.
I have also had 14 surgeries for this in my armpits, both sides of my groin,beneath both breasts , and on my backside area. Despite being on antibiotics at one point I developed septicaemia because of this vile condition.
Nowadays ,I simply live with it.
Yes I am now overweight ….but that is simply down to the fact that these abscesses render the sufferer almost unable to move. Who wants to walk around like John Wayne after his horse has bolted because their groin is so painful? Who wants to spend their days holding up their boobs because it is agony to let them down? Who wants to walk round with armpits full of abcesses rubbing against their clothed body ? NONE OF US…thats for sure! We spend our lives in sedentary mode because even the most simple movement is agony.
So ,to all those Medics who seem hell-bent on "blaming" the fact that a HS sufferer is overweight as THE CAUSE why don't you look at this realistically and face the fact that the HS is THE CAUSE OF THE SUFFERERS WEIGHT PROBLEM !
Find a reason for this disorder and you will find many painfree people worldwide who no longer have a weight issue because some wonderful person showed enough compassion to find a cure for HS!
For what it's worth ,surgery has not obliterated my HS either. Nor has it worked for 3 other sufferers that I know of. It merely allowed the condition to move from one site and emigrate to another part of the body.
In reality there is no known specific cause …..just a lot of guess work and fobbing patients off. There is no known cure. Well,lets be honest ,how can there be when there is no exact known cause?

I can just state now that my heart goes out to other sufferers of HS . Research into many other debilitating diseases is high profle whilst HS and the pain of its sufferers seems to be swept under the carpet and be of little interest . Because we keep it hidden ,it could be a case of "What the eye doesn't see the heart doesnt grieve over" as far as the boffins are concerned.
Maybe if they developed this conditionally personally then they would be dashing off to get themselves a cause and cure!

Hello! I am a 16 year old with this condition. I have this develop those boils every time I shave! It is so weird how my body is changing and these annoying infections are showing up on my skin. I want to be well groomed and hair free but I am so prone to ingrowns, hyperpigmentation, and those boils that come by whenever I shave. I also battle with eczema and hirustism (no joke). I am so miserable. HOW CAN I BE NORMAL!!!!????

I've had this for about 10 years, and am 23 now. antibiotics, and local surgery haven't helped, so I'm booked in for an operation in two months time to get rid of this gross thing forever! If anyone's been for the operation, I was wondering if you could let me know what the scarring afterwards is like? Thanks!

I have just finished watching embarrassing illnesses, and when i saw the bit about HS i cried, i haven't been diagnosed with it, but am sure this is what i am suffering from! I have been to the doctor several times about the problem on my groin area, and have heard that the problem is everything from perfumed soaps to follicle inflammation and have been prescribed many tablets, which obviously haven't worked. I've suffered from these abscesses/boils for a few years now, and being 18 has seriously put a dent in my life, i also have them in my armpits and a few around my breasts but until now never thought they could be linked. I am overweight, and having read up on the condition, now know that this could be adding to it, so am doing something about that! But i'm scared about seeking professional help over it as, being overweight will be the only thing seen and not the actual problem itself! I'm really worried they might get worse, and as there is no definite cure, i am not sure what i can do about them. The main problem is my groin, where apart from the obvious issue of them being unsightly, they are painful and leave holes when the boils have burst.
Hopefully someone can offer me some advice? :(.....

hi everyone, my daughter who is now 11yrs old is suffering from HS for the last 2 years. i have been to the dermatologist last year and told me there is no cure and advice me to give her antibiotic for a long period of time. antibiotic didn't help her at all and after few months of trying i stopped giving her and started giving her herbal treatment. like black onion seeds, turmeric , user of antibacterial soap, tried 6 months of homeopathic medicine course. it was helping her but her life wasn't back to normal. march this year one of my relative asked me to try BEE PROPLIS. and believe me since she started taking one tablet a day, her life back to normal. it effected her so quickly that very next day her boils were like they about to gone.
i suffer from acne for so many years, when i saw my daughter getting better with this tablet, i thought i better try as well. i am taking this tablet for the last 3 months and now this month i have noticed that my painful acne is nearly gone now and my skin getting better.
i will say 98% of boils never came back on her groin area and in addition i give her suppuratec another herbal medicine read on the internet. plz try herbal medicine instead of strong antibiotic .

FINALLY I have a name for what this is….I first went to my GP when I was 18 (now 32) and was told that it was pretty common and that lots of women have it & nothing could be done. Since changing doctors when I moved 5 years ago I also mentioned it on a visit & showed the Dr the current state of affairs and she said exactly the same. My problem area is my groin – recently (thankfully) the attacks are less frequent but now I scar every time & am embarrased for anyone to see. Mine also tend to appear a few days before my period – does anyone know whether this is linked to hormone levels in any way? All advice – especially on reducing scarring, gratefully received!

I really wish there was a cure :( I'm only 20 and i feel like my sex life is already over! This is possibly the most embarressin and painful condition ever and its just not fair.. my doctor didnt even no what it was after doin my own research i diagnosed my self…anitbiotics eased it but i still got the occasional one… and the thought of being on antibiotics for the REST OF MY LIFE doesnt sound appealing. My doctor offered plastic surgery for scarring? has anybody had that done…..?