How Botox® Can Cure Your Excessive Sweating

From the physical discomfort to embarrassment, sweating excessively is no fun. While normal amounts of perspiration plays a vital role in your overall health by keeping your body cool and protecting it from overheating, some  2.8% of the US population experiences hyperhidrosis, a condition that causes your body to sweat a lot more than it needs to. Botox® provides a minimally invasive treatment that can help.

Our team at Meridian Plastic Surgery is pleased to offer Botox for cosmetic as well as medical purposes. Read on to learn more about the benefits of this injectable treatment and how it can minimize your excessive sweating.

Excessive sweating basics

Excessive sweating usually happens when the nerves that trigger your sweat glands into action become overactive. It can also derive from conditions, such as diabetes, infections, and thyroid disorders. 

While you can experience symptoms most anywhere you sweat, hyperhidrosis typically affects the hands, feet, or arm pits. In some cases, the sweat can be so pronounced that it soaks through your clothing. You may also find yourself hesitant to shake hands with others because of wet palms, and feel self conscious or avoidant of social situations.

How Botox can help

You may be familiar with Botox as a simple way to minimize wrinkles and fine lines, but its muscle-paralyzing benefits can reduce excessive sweating as well. Botox works by interrupting the chemical that stimulates the sweat glands under your arms, which it’s FDA-approved for. Providers may also use the treatment for excessive sweating from the hands and feet, which is considered “off-label” care—ie, treatment approved for one use and applied to another. 

Your session will consist of a series of injections in the treatment area using a tiny needle. Once the injections are complete, you might notice a bit residual soreness or swelling at the injection sites, which should diminish on their own pretty quickly. Any pain is momentary and may feel like a tiny pinch. If you’re concerned about pain, you can request an ice pack or a topic numbing agent beforehand. And after your treatment, you can get straight back to your normal activities. 

Within 2-4 days of your injections, you’ll start to notice improvements in your excessive sweating symptoms. Within two weeks, the treatment should reach full effects. Botox has shown a success rate of 82%-87% reductions for sweating under the arms and 80%-90% for reduced palm sweat. Because Botox results are temporary, you’ll need additional treatment every 6 months or so.

To learn more about Botox or schedule treatment, call Meridian Plastic Surgery or book an appointment through our website.