Botox Sweating Treatment

Sweating Armpits Botox Treatment

Excessive sweating in the underarms is a common problem which affects people of all ages, regardless of gender, race or ethnicity. Most of the time this embarrassing condition is effectively cured with over the counter antiperspirants. But there are people in which even prescribed antiperspirants fail to effectively alleviate sweating in armpits, and they have to seek other treatment options, including oral medications, iontophoresis and even surgical procedures. Nevertheless, all of them have their own side effects.

However, don’t worry, there is one procedure that offers guaranteed relief from excessive sweating in any part of the body, including armpits, and that is through Botox injections. This may come as a surprise for most of the people, since botulinum toxin is known more for its cosmetic applications, and there are only a few who are familiar with the medicinal uses of Botox. This naturally occurring neurotoxin, produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum, is primarily used to reduce or eliminate facial wrinkles and creases to improve a person’s cosmetic appearance. But the U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) has approved it to treat a number of diseases including:

• Hyperhidrosis – medical name for excessive sweating, especially in armpits
• Strabismus - misaligned eyes
• Blepharospasm - uncontrollable blinking
• Chronic migraines
• Overactive bladder
• Cervical dystonia - a neurological disorder that causes severe neck and shoulder muscle contractions
  

It may be noted here that FDA has approved Botox for use only when all other treatment options have failed, and when it comes to treating sweating with botulinum toxin, it can be used only for hyperhidrosis patients.

You must be wondering what hyperhidrosis is, and how to determine whether you are a candidate for Botox treatment or not. Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition caused by overactive sweat glands. People suffering from this condition sweat profusely in specific parts of body, even in the absence of triggers. Hyperhidrosis patients sweat four to five times more than normal, and a survey conducted by International Hyperhidrosis Society has estimated that around 211 million people (over 3% of the world’s population).

Determining whether you are a candidate for Botox treatment for hyperhidrosis or not is solely your doctor’s job. Dermatologists perform starch test on the area that sweats heavily to check whether the condition is serious enough to be treated with botulinum injections. If starch test confirms you have hyperhidrosis then the toxin will be injected directly into your skin, deep enough to reach the sweat glands responsible for unnecessary perspiration.

The toxin sticks itself to the nerve endings, stopping the transmission of chemical signals that ask your glands to sweat. When the nerve impulses from the brain do not reach the overactive glands, they automatically stop producing excessive sweat. Maximum results of Botox treatment can be seen 7 to 10 days after getting the injection and last for up to six months. Doctors believe that hyperhidrosis patients can indefinitely get Botox shots once or twice a year to stay dry and stink-free.