Botox for Excessive Sweating: San Francisco Aesthetics
Botox can be used for more than wrinkles! Did you know that Botox is an effective way to treat hyperhydrosis (excessive sweating) in the underams and palms?
How does it work?
People with hyperhydrosis can produce far more sweat than is needed to control their body temperature. This can leave armpits constantly damp, making everyday activities more difficult to carry out, or causing embarrassing social situations.
Botox can be injected into the armpits, blocking the action of nerves that supply the eccrine (sweat) glands. This stops the glands from producing sweat.
How long will it last?
Treatment totally blocks the nerve ending for about 6-12 weeks but then new nerve endings start to form. This means the effects of treatment last for several months, but will eventually wear off.
Half of patients report that after one Botox treatment they are free of excessive sweating for more than 7 months, and more than one third of patients are still free of excess sweating after one year. Because you continue to sweat normally in other areas, there is no concern about overheating.
Will it help with the odor?
Many patients treated with Botox in the axilla (underarm) are pleased to discover there is also significant reduction in body odor (bromhydrosis) produced by the axilla!
Why is Botox better than other treatments for hyperhydrosis?
Unlike antiperspirants or topical treatments, Botox targets sweating at its source, and enters the specific glands responsible for excessive sweating, blocking the release of a chemical which causes the production of perspiration.
In clinical studies, 95% of patients with hyperhydrosis severe enough to interfere with their daily lives experienced the benefits of Botox after just one week, with sweating reduced by an average of 83%.
Individuals troubled by excessive sweating often do not respond adequately to antiperspirants, and they may not respond to (or be willing to tolerate) systemic medications, electrical treatments, permanent destruction of the nerves which control sweating, or surgery (in the armpits) to either scrape away the sweat glands or to cut out the areas of excessive sweating.
Botox treatment, by contrast with the above, is a simple office procedure with little discomfort or risk; and can be much less expensive than surgery. Some people will only want Botox treatment before an important event (for example, a wedding). Others, whose sweating is mainly a problem during hot weather, may have Botox treatment at the start of every summer. Botox treatments can be safely continued year-round if necessary to maintain control of your sweating.
Contact us for more information and for a personal consultation to answer your questions and review your skin’s needs. The consultation is free when proceeded with a treatment.
