Sweating Treatment with Botox (From £399)
Sweating is the body’s natural way to cool itself, which is the reason why a person sweats more when exposed to heat. It is natural to sweat when in a hot place, or when consuming hot food and beverages. However, problems can arise from excessive sweating concerns – which can cause bigger problems than stains in clothes.
Excessive sweating can cause embarrassment for a person. It is very difficult for a person to feel confident with dealing with other people knowing that he will be soaked to the skin in a matter of minutes – even if the temperature is not high. Excessive sweating can also cause unsightly sweat stains to form on clothes, and can even attract body odour-causing bacteria.
Severe Underarm Sweating
Also called hyperhidrosis, severe underarm sweating can be a major cause of embarrassment for an individual. Hyperhidrosis is a medical disorder that is treatable, which results in sweating that exceeds the normal amount required to maintain constant body temperature. Hyperhidrosis is believed to be the result of a malfunction in the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for regulating the body temperature. People with hyperhidrosis are thought to produce too much of a specific neurotransmitter in the sympathetic nervous system, or thought to have sweat glands that overreact to normal levels of the neurotransmitter. Excessive perspiration is the result of hyperhidrosis.
People with hyperhidrosis may seek help from anti-perspirant products to help reduce or even control excessive underarm sweating; unfortunately, anti-perspirants can only do so much in sweat control – and are often not much help for people with severe underarm sweating problems. In cases when even the strongest anti-perspirant out in the market does not control excessive sweating in the underarm area, Botox treatments may be the best treatment option.
Botox and Excessive Sweating Problems
BOTOX® has been clinically approved to treat the symptoms of severe underarm sweating – especially in cases when topical medications used on the skin do not provide positive results. BOTOX® neurotoxin is injected into the affected areas to help control the excessive sweating condition by temporarily blocking the chemical signals from the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands. When the sweat glands don’t receive chemical signals, the severe sweating stops. BOTOX® injections are expected to provide temporary relief from excessive underarm sweating by stopping the production of excessive sweat only in the treated area. Sweat will continue to be produced in other parts of the body; the sweat that does not go out from the treated area (underarms) will not be diverted to another body part, or will get backed up, because the sweat simply will not be produced in the areas treated with BOTOX®
Other Treatment Options for Excessive Sweating
Antiperspirants/Deodorants – Antiperspirants and deodorants are considered to be the “first line” of treatment for severe underarm sweating, as over-the-counter antiperspirants work by blocking sweat ducts which result to the reduction of the amount of perspiration that reaches the skin. Most antiperspirants have ingredients that are metallic salts, including aluminum chloride hexahydrate. Deodorants, on the other hand, help in controlling body odour, which can be caused by a reaction between bacteria and sweat; deodorants work by making the skin more acidic, making it less attractive to bacteria. They are often used in combination with antiperspirants to help control sweating in addition to odor.
Prescription Antiperspirants/Deodorants – The doctor may prescribe a stronger antiperspirant for severe underarm sweating when over the counter products do not provide positive results; prescription deodorants and antiperspirants are available from the pharmacist. Like over-the-counter antiperspirants and deodorants, these products also work by blocking sweat ducts, thereby reducing the amount of perspiration that reaches the skin.
Iontophoresis – This procedure is performed by sending a small electrical current to the surface of the affected area while it is submerged in water. The treatments usually must be repeated 3-4 times per week. Iontophoresis can effectively address problems associated with severe underarm sweating.
Surgery – There are various surgical procedures that can be used to address the problem of severe underarm sweating, but these procedures are usually reserved for the most extreme cases that do not respond to other treatments. One of the most common types of surgery used today for this condition is called endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS). The ETS surgical procedure involves putting the patient to sleep with general anesthesia; the surgeon will then surgeon attempt to interrupt the transmission of nerve signals between the spinal column and sweat glands in the affected area, such as the underarms. Other types of surgery sometimes used for severe underarm sweating include the surgical removal of the sweat glands under the armpits, and liposuction.
