Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition that causes you to sweat much more than your body actually requires. Sweating, usually, is a normal and necessary bodily function. However, when you sweat excessively, it can affect your quality of life.
If you find that you need to carry extra clothes, you’ve tried every over-the-counter product available -- along with a few prescription-only ones -- you may want to learn a little about how Botox can be used to treat excessive sweating.
Yes, it’s the same Botox that’s used to combat wrinkles! Onabotulinumtoxin A, better known as Botox, has been in use in cosmetic applications since it was approved by the FDA in 1989.
Botox is one of the most well-studied treatments available. It’s used to treat several medical conditions, including hyperhidrosis, as well as to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
The reason that Botox is an effective treatment for both wrinkles and sweating is that it has the ability to block signals to your nerves. When it’s used to treat wrinkles, it’s injected in such a way as to silence the signal that tells your wrinkle-causing muscles to contract.
When it’s used to treat excessive sweating, it’s strategically injected to interrupt the signal that tells your sweat glands to work.
If you’ve tried different methods that were supposed to help reduce your sweating and you found them ineffective, you may be wondering what kinds of results to expect from Botox injections. When used to treat underarm sweat, Botox has been found to result in about an 85% reduction.
If you have extra-sweaty palms, you’ll be happy to learn that Botox injections are 80-90% effective in reducing excessive hand sweating. In treating plantar, or foot, sweat, it’s a bit less effective, but still provides better results than many other treatments.
Although Botox has been thoroughly studied, and is considered safe, it’s important that you’re treated by someone who is properly trained and highly skilled in administering the injections, such as the care providers at South Lake Pain Institute. The reason it’s so critical is that for Botox to be effective in treating excessive sweating, the injection must be in precisely the right location to interrupt the nerves’ signal to your sweat glands.
The treatment itself is generally quick, and you won’t need recovery time, though you should avoid intense exercise and sauna use for the remainder of the day of your injections. Your doctor may ask you to avoid shaving for several days prior to the treatment.
You’ll be given injections, just under the skin, in a grid pattern in the area being treated. Depending on your needs and your specific treatment, your doctor may use an anesthetic technique of some form to limit your discomfort.
You’ll need to follow up one or two weeks after your treatment to make sure you don’t need any further injections and to confirm whether Botox is working for you.
If you’d like to learn more about hyperhidrosis and how Botox can treat it, book an appointment online or by phone. Our staff is happy to answer your questions and evaluate your situation.
