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Rebecca Adler writes: My game face has been known to cause genuine panic on the field -- mostly among race officials and umpires worried they’ve got some kind of medical emergency on their hands. Either they think I’ve somehow been severely sunburned on just one side of my face or they worry that I’m on my way to having heat stroke.
I have a condition called Harlequin Syndrome, which causes me to sweat and flush red on only on the left side of my body.
I got it the day after I was born, in the same way that anyone gets it -- by sustaining an injury to the sympathetic nervous system (the part of the nervous system that reacts to stress and flight-or-fight circumstances), according to Peter Drummond, a professor at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia.
(FYI, it was Drummond who first researched the condition and coined the catchy term “Harlequin Syndrome” in 1988 after researching others who have it.)
But it isn’t just general trauma to the sympathetic nervous system. It occurs at a very specific area of that system: the space right between the shoulder blades where the sympathetic nerves leave the spinal cord.
While many of the subjects in Drummond’s studies were unable to identify the cause of the trauma to the nervous system, mine left a road map in the form of a six-inch-long scar tracing the shape of my right shoulder blade. It was an emergency operation that caused the damage to my nervous system that would later earn me the nickname Two-Face -- Thank you, Tim Burton, for releasing the movie "Batman Forever" during my freshman year of high school! -- and cause every shirt I own to get sweat stains on only the left side.
Only about 200,000 people in the United States are thought to share in the phenomenon that is Harlequin Syndrome, which can affect either the left or the right side of the body. Some with the condition are even known to turn red on one side and sweat on the other side. Regardless, there is always a strict dividing line between the flushed, sweaty side and the cool, dry side. While there are no real treatments for the condition, there are also, luckily, no known dangerous side effects, says Drummond. This means that as long as we’re OK with strangers' panicked requests that we go to the emergency room, the constant disposal of only half-ruined T-shirts and the discomfort of feeling our heartbeat in only the flushed side of our faces, then those of us with the condition can sweat it out as much as we’d like.
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That's pretty fascinating.....
At first I thought this article may have been about a Harlequin baby, whose skin is inside out.
I have had this my whole life ( I am 56). I did have surgery when I was born to correct TEF, which is a (now) nasty scar stretching around my shoulder blade. It is the first time I have read about this. I also have extreme hot and cold hands, which is really strange.
Honestly, I'd never heard of anyone else with this until I started doing research for this post. It's fun to know there are others of us out there, isn't it? :-)
Just tell them that you just returned from someplace exotic and you made the mistake of sleeping on your side and you woke up this way. It will shut them up instantly. Stay Stron Girl.
Heh. Sometimes I consider going along with it when people ask how I got sunburned on only one side. I don't think I'd be able to keep a straight face about it though.
I hope that is does not cause you too much discomfort and at the risk of sounding totally rude. If it doesn't hurt kinda cool to be two colors at once. Many geeks from Star Trek to your mentioned batman (Harley Quinn is blond as well) would find this awesomely unique and intriguing! I am sure to pay a price for that comment, and if it does cause you pain, I am sorry about my lack of compassion in this comment and I will humbly take it back!
Don't worry AB-1912910, I've had it long enough to not be offended when people ask me about it anymore. I went on a trip a couple years back, on which we hiked to a vista overlooking a beautiful waterfall. At the top, all the other tourists wanted a picture of me - not the waterfall. I've come to think of it as something that makes me unique. I'm glad you think it's cool too! Thanks for the comment!
I am always left wondering about people's experiences through their bodies. That whole nature vs. nurture aspect. If this made you more outgoing and extroverted or just the opposite. Very interesting article and although I had heard of this I did not understand it till now. And you are beautiful, Thank you!
My grand-daughter was born with a genetic heart condition called Tetrology of Follot (sp?). It is a seties of four heart defects that occur (one of the conditions usually called "blue baby.")
But she also had Harlequin Syndrome. We were told that it is much more common that people thing. I took a huge number of pictures and it is incredible how sharply defined the line is. I took some pictures that only showed one square inch of her forehead and you can lay a ruler on the line and it is as straight as the edge of a ruler.
Hers faded and went away after about 48 hours, but it was such a bizarre thing that it actually helped the family through what was a very tense period after she was born and was getting stabilized so she could have major heart surgery.
(BTW --- She is five next month and doing wonderfully.)
LOL! Lucky you! you don't need to tan on both sides, one side is enough! and you won't have to sit under the sun like us!!
Keep it up, don't be offended by people, you are lucky that you are unique, not like us, we all resemble each other :(
I'm so sorry to hear that and know what you're going thru. I sweat buckets and buckets on my face and head about 5 years now, and it takes an hour, hour and a half before it cools down, and it has ruined my life. Can't wear makeup,have very short hair soak and wet all the time, creates anziety, shortness of breath and attacks without warning, whether in activity or not, shopping, eating, etc. constantly. I have no life, and don't want to do any thing at all, but stay in bed.
I too sweat buckets from left side nothing on the right side. I am extremely uncomfortable if room is not ice cold my body gives off so much heat people comment all the time when they touch me or sit in a chair after i have been in it. I have anxiety issues and rapid breathing. One thing I have seen in my research that people get this from exertion, spicy food or embarrassment. When I eat spicy food the condition manifests on the other side. or right side this is the only time my right side sweats. I also have extreme high triglycerides not sure if connected.
I have a husband that has been complaining of this problem. When I came across this and another site that was talking about this, now he feels better that he knows what it is. Up until now he thought he had some sort of terrible disease. I've always thought that it wasn't as bad as he was saying and that if he could still function in everyday life then it was something that he just had to live with. He doesn't have the line that goes down the middle of his face, but the sweating that I've seen him just become soaked with. Has anyone found that supplements help relieve this or maybe make it worse?
Wow strange stuff...but cool. =)
Rebecca Adler, you are beautiful!!! Thank you for sharing your story!!!
It's good to see someone with such a sharp sense of positivity on the side of their "uniqueness". About being called Two Face, I saw a guy in Boston once who had his face TATTOOED to look like Harley after his unfortunate disfiguring. I think having redness and some sweat is definitely much cooler, lol. Could you imagine waking up one day and wishing you hadn't gotten the disfiguring tattoo? On the bright side of that, you're a very beautiful woman and I don't think a little bit of redness is going to effect that. Thanks for sharing your article!
Yikes! I wonder what makes a person decide to get a tattoo like that. I'm definitely OK with my strange two-faced look, but I'm also glad it goes away after awhile. Thanks for the comment!
You're still beautiful. Having had to deal with this already will probably cause you to deal with many new in young adulthood more easily than your peers. Thanks for sharing; I'd never heard of this.
I have a similar condition. My right side of my torso sweats front and back and as I got older my left shoulder begun to sweat. I don't sweat anywhere else. In the summer time I have to be in the water if I wish to be outside the house. I have seen many doctors and none of them have provide this much information. Thanks for sharing your story.
Norman, In high school I refused to play anything but water sports because it hid my condition. I kind of like the over-sweating on my left side now though. It makes me feel like I worked really hard when I get back and my shirt is soaked (at least on one side). It does get irritating though when I'm not doing any kind of activity but can still feel my left side sweating. I'm definitely a winter girl!
I have not been officially diagnosed with Harlequin Syndrome, but have had the same symptoms for as long as I can remember. If I run when it is especially warm outside I get a perfect line down the center of my face, with the left side becoming bright pink and excessively sweaty, and the right side staying pale and dry. It is also slightly noticeable on my chest, and on my arms. It usually fades after an hour or two, depending on how hot I am.
When I ran track in middle school, other kids would ask me what was wrong with my face. As a sensitive kid, it was frustrating to be asked that seemingly insulting question and not have an answer. This past year (I'm 26 now), I finally started to do some research to find out what was "wrong with my face", and was actually very excited to learn that there is a name for it and that it happens to other people, too.
I run fairly regularly, and my symptoms definitely depend on the temperature and how hot I get during a run. When I ran a few miles last night (with the temperate around 50 degrees), the left side of my face barely turned pink at all. When I ran a 5K couple of weeks ago and it was 90 degrees out, the one-sided flushing was very noticeable. I often feel that I don't tolerate extreme heat as well as other people do, because I get SO miserably hot on my left side as opposed to just being a little bit hot all over.
Has anyone else with this condition noticed any differences when they are cold as well? If my office is extremely cold, my fingernails will turn blue-ish on my left hand, but stay pink on my right hand. I've always assumed that whatever was causing my left side to be warmer than the right side when I am hot was also probably the same thing that caused it to be cooler when I am cold.
Anyway, glad I am not alone!
I had never actually looked into this condition myself until I was asked to write this article. I was surprised to find that there was a name for it and that other people out there had the same condition. I'd asked my doctors about it before but they'd never heard of it. I haven't noticed the cold weather thing, but I guess it could be less noticeable than the bright pink face and sweating. I definitely don't see it as badly when the weather is cooler (which is why it's kind of hard to see in the picture that goes with this post). On a hot summer day though I often regret having become a marathon runner. If it's really hot I can feel my heart beat in the left side of my face and it's actually quite uncomfortable. I'm assuming you have the same problem.
I'm glad to know we're not alone too! :-)
I have the same thing. I first noticed in a gym mirror. Thought fan was on one side. I also have one arm that is extremely cold and the other warm when run in winter most noticeably. Also sweat on opp side of neck when have spicy foods.
Live in Vt where mostly cold so not a problem. Had chest xray to look for poss tumor and mri of head to check there as well. All clear.
Neurologist was not able to diagnose. Said Horners Syndrome or Harlequin. I first noticed it when I was 42 and am now 53. Still feeling great.
as a makeup artist i would love to play that up. I dont have it. but if a client did i would loooove to make them look incredable. I MEAN COME ON ur working with two different skin tones there. just imagining all the crazy fun looks in my head is exciting enough :D
Thanks so much, I have been wondering what was going on with me since high school. I sweat on one side of my face (as pictured) when active physically, however, if I eat real spicy food and/or vinegar-based food, I sweat on the other! Either way, it is right down the middle... Thanks so much, I couldn't believe my wife found your article!!!
I experience exactly the same thing but only after really intense aerobic exercise, half my face will be pale and half will be bright red, and the very obvious line down my forehead is absolutely straight. When I've cooled down an hour or two later my face will look perfectly normal again. I am 45 years old now and I am still very fit, active and healthy. Your article has made me realise that the reason I feel overheated after really intense exercise, and the reason it takes so long for my face to cool down afterwards is that I am only sweating on one side of my face, and that side is having to work twice as hard! Thank you for sharing.
I have this condition, But was never injured after birth...Also it affects my entire face, the right side of my torso, and the back of both my arms and legs. and never lessens in the redness..... oh and my right hand when i get cold, on the back of it, looks like africa haha. thats the only cool thing about having it.