Botox® for excessive underarm sweating
What is Hyperhidrosis
Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating. Sweating is one of the most important ways in which the body loses heat; however, people with hyperhidrosis produce sweat in amounts far greater than needed to control their temperature.
What’s happening in the body to cause hyperhidrosis?
Hyperhidrosis is caused by over activity of one type of sweat gland, the eccrine gland. Many things can trigger normal sweating and this is also true for hyperhidrosis – it’s just the amount of sweating that’s different. Examples include:
- Exercise
- Stress, anxiety or strong emotions
- Heat or cold
- Certain times of the day
- Alcohol, coffee or tea, smoking or spicy food
People with hyperhidrosis can produce a large amount of sweat. This means that the armpits may be constantly damp. This can cause embarrassment at work or socially, and it may make normal everyday activities more difficult to carry out. But it is not true that hyperhidrosis causes body odour: the smell that some think is due to sweating is in fact caused by bacteria on the skin if the sweat remains on the skin for a long time.
What can I do about Hyperhidrosis?
Simple self-help measures you can take include:
- Choose clothing that will keep you cool. Natural fibres are cool but they absorb sweat and can remain damp; some synthetic fibres are warm but they wick sweat away from the body and feel dry.
- Keep your work environment cool and well aired
- Avoid the food and drinks that trigger sweating; these will be different for everyone and you will probably know what causes problems for you
- Stress, tension and anxiety are common problems for everyone, though people with hyperhidrosis have the extra difficulties of coping with sweating. Think about how you can reduce stress during the day: plan your activities carefully and make time to relax
- Odour can be prevented by attention to personal hygiene (such as frequent showers); although this will not be convenient for people who constantly sweat, it is an effective and simple measure to take.
How does Botox® work?
Botox® is the first line treatment for the treatment of hyperhidrosis. When small doses are injected into the skin, Botox® block the actions of the nerves that supply the eccrine glands: preventing the glands from producing sweat. The effects of treatment last for several months but eventually they will wear off.
What happens during a course of treatment with Botox®?
Every client will have iodine and starch powder applied to the underarm area in order to delineate the areas of maximal sweat production. Using a very fine needle, you will be injected with a small amount of solution into 10 to 15 places about 1 cm apart and spread evenly in each armpit. A treatment takes about 10 minutes to perform.
How soon does it work and how long will it last?
The effects of treatment will become apparent over the first week. Clients tend to return for their next treatment on average every 8 months.
How effective is Botox® at reducing sweating?
In clinical trials, the average reduction in sweat production one week after treatment was 87% and sweating was reduced by at least half in 95% of patients. The average duration of effect was 8 months.
In practice, most of our clients repeat the treatment once per year.
What happens if I decide to stop treatment?
The effects of Botox® wear off over a period of several months. If you decide not to repeat this treatment there will be no lasting change in the areas treated and sweating will gradually return to the level it was before you started treatment.