Yes. Because of the nature of the disease, having HS will affect your daily life to some extent, though this differs greatly between people. A lot of people find it hard to come to terms with having HS.

How much it affects your life depends very much on how severe your HS is. If you have very mild disease, it is likely to be more of a nuisance than anything else because of discomfort of the lesions. More severe disease can interfere much more with your life.

Having HS can affect you in many ways. It can affect:

How you look

The lesions can be disfiguring and can sometimes have an unpleasant odour. This can cause a lot of embarrassment for some people, especially as it is a disease which often starts in late adolescence or early adulthood when appearance is particularly important.

How you feel about yourself

People may have negative feelings about their body due to HS and find it difficult to like themselves because of it.

Your relationships

Many people with HS have difficulties in relationships as they feel ‘dirty’ or unattractive. Many have problems with sex because they feel this way or because of the pain from genital/groin lesions. Trying to be open with your partner and discussing problems as they come up can help. Also, relationship counselling can help overcome difficulties. Many people with HS have successful long-term relationships.

What clothes you can wear

Clothing choices may be limited to those that cover affected areas and, if the condition is particularly weepy, to those that will not show stains. Also, you will need to pick loose underclothes that don’t chafe or restrict the affected areas.

Going to work or school

If you have mild HS, it is unlikely to interfere with your ability to carry on as normal at school or work. More severe disease can interfere a lot with school or work. You might need to visit the doctor frequently for medication and/or surgery, which might mean needing to take time off school or work. Also, if the lesions are particularly weepy, then you might need to change your dressings frequently which can interfere with work or school.

Because HS has such a big impact on everyday life, many patients also tend to have significant psychological effects including depression.

Support from family and friends and other people with the disease (see ‘Where can I find more information?’) can help people accept the disease better and focus on more positive aspects of life.

Unless you confide in someone, they are unlikely to know that you have HS as it affects areas easily covered by normal clothing.

You will probably tell those close to you as you become more comfortable with having HS. It is important to remember that this is a disease process that affects you; it does not define who you are.

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