It’s minutes before you’re going to be in front of professional peers making a presentation, and a rush of adrenaline triggers moisture under your arms and on your palms. Sweating is a normal response to stressful situations. For some men and women, though, applying antiperspirant is no match for the relentless sweat that soaks through their clothes. These are people we see at our medical spa in St. Louis asking about excessive sweating treatments.
Fortunately, there are a number of treatment options for hyperhidrosis, the condition that causes excessive sweating. These treatments range from temporary solutions such as BOTOX® injections to more permanent correction with miraDry®. In this blog post, we’ll describe the various options available for people who want relief from the embarrassment and cost associated with hyperhidrosis.
Before scheduling a treatment for excessive sweating, you should consult with a physician to ensure there is no underlying medical issue responsible for the condition.
MiraDry
Using thermal energy, MiraDry targets sweat glands and hair follicles during a noninvasive procedure. The electromagnetic technology used during the treatment destroys the glands by heating them. The glands are safely and permanently eliminated. Only 2% of the body’s 2 to 4 million sweat glands are under the arms, so the body can still cool itself. The FDA cleared miraDry in 2015 to treat hyperhidrosis. One of miraDry’s other benefits is that it also eliminates the glands that produce odor.
Other Excessive Sweating Treatment Options
Here are the primary treatment alternatives to miraDry:
BOTOX: Most people think of BOTOX injections as a way to reduce lines and wrinkles, but it is approved by the FDA to treat a range of other non-cosmetic conditions, including hyperhidrosis. BOTOX is a neurotoxin that temporarily reduces excessive underarm sweating. People sweat when the nervous system sends signals to activate sweat glands. In people with hyperhidrosis, the sweat glands are overactive. Tiny amounts of BOTOX injected in the underarms blocks the nerves’ signals to the glands. As with other BOTOX treatments, the results last about 3 to 4 months.
Laser treatments: The heat generated by laser technology destroys overactive sweat glands. Unlike the noninvasive nature of miraDry, treatments such as Precision TX are minimally invasive procedures that eliminate sweat glands. Like miraDry, it typically works to stop excessive sweating after a single treatment.
Radiofrequency (RF) with microneedling: Some devices combine microneedling with RF energy to disable sweat glands. Microneedling is a popular skin rejuvenation treatment that creates tiny micro-injuries to stimulate collagen production. In this case, RF energy penetrates the microchannels to target the sweat glands.
Surgery: Some people decide to get surgery to treat hyperhidrosis. Using very small incisions, surgeons cut or clamp the nerves to permanently disrupt their ability to send signals to the sweat glands. As you might imagine, surgery is a more expensive option than miraDry or other treatment alternatives.
If you want to discuss your excessive sweating treatment options with a specialist at our St. Louis medical spa, contact us using the online form to request a consultation or call us at (636) 530-6161 to schedule an appointment.
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