Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) is a common disorder affecting many people…an inherited problem that has been seen in almost every ethnic group. It can have severe physiological and emotional effects on an individual’s life. Those affected are subject to daily embarrassments and struggle constantly to accommodate their lifestyle to hide what they consider disabling in professional, academic and social life.
Normal sweating is needed for thermal regulation, or temperature control. For people suffering from hyperhidrosis, sweating exceeds the body’s need for physiological thermal regulation and is thought to be a result of over activity of the sympathetic nervous system.
A simple procedure injecting a neuromodulator, such as Botox, into the axilla has been shown to decrease sweating by up to 87%. Results are noticeable in several days and full effects are noted within 2 weeks with dryness typically lasting up to a year. The armpits are home to less than 2% of the body’s sweat glands, so treatment has little effect on the body’s ability to thermoregulate.
Research has shown that repeated treatment with neuromodulators is safe, effective and consistently results in meaningful, long-lasting improvement in symptoms of excessive sweating and thus daily function and quality of life.