Do you have hyperhidrosis? Botox might be in your future…
Hyperhidrosis: Excessive Underarm sweat can be treated with Botox®
Hyperhidrosis is when a person experiences an excessive amount of sweat even though it’s not hot and they are not exercising. Patients can sweat to the point where it soaks through their garments or drips from their hands which can be embarrassing in work or public situations.
Thankfully Botox® has been recognized as successful means to treat hyperhidrosis because it blocks the nerves that trigger the glands that produce sweat.
Patients report that the procedure is relatively painless but numbing of the skin can be done beforehand to ensure your procedure is pain-free. Numbing is generally accomplished by using a local anesthesia, ice or vibration anesthesia.
It generally takes a few days for the treatment to take effect and you may need multiple injections in the affected area of your body. To bolster the effectiveness of the Botox you’ll need follow up treatments about every six months. A possible side effect of short-term weakness in the muscles of the treated area have been reported by a small percentage of patients.
If you experience Hyperhidrosis and would like to discuss Botox as a treatment, please give us a call at (949) 477-9740 or use our handy contact form to set up your free consultation.
Botox® for Axillary (Underarm) Hyperhidrosis: the technical details
Hyperhidrosis is when a person experiences an excessive amount of sweat even though it’s not hot and they are not exercising. Patients can sweat to the point where it soaks through their garments or drips from their hands which can be embarrassing in work or public situations.
The Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Score can help measure the impact excessive sweating has on daily life activities. See the chart image at right and click to enlarge.
Thankfully, Botox® has been approved to treat axillary hyperhidrosis. As with the treatment of facial lines, Botox® works to treat underarm sweating by blocking chemical messengers.
When the nerve signal to the sweat gland is interrupted, the gland never gets to signal to produce sweat, and voila! No sweating!
Research has shown the treatment of hyperhidrosis has increased job productivity and decreased social anxiety.
The Botox® is injected into the area to be treated, just under the skin. See the 3rd image at right and click to enlarge.
The Botox® injections are placed approximately 1-2 cm apart throughout the affected area. See the 4th image at right and click to enlarge.
Although the procedure may look scary, it is more comfortable than you’d think. The use of topical anesthetic and ice make the procedure well-tolerated.
- Botox® has been shown to decrease underarm sweating by about 85%.
- Improvement can be seen in as soon as 2-4 days, with full effects within 1-2 weeks.
- Treatments can be repeated every 4-6 months.
If you experience Hyperhidrosis and would like to discuss Botox® as a treatment, please give us a call at (949) 477-9740 or use our handy contact form to set up your free consultation.
