Botox for excessive sweating: Is it right for you?
Perspiration, or sweat, is your body's way of cooling itself, whether that extra heat comes from hardworking muscles or from overstimulated nerves.
You are about to do something really big -- maybe a job interview, a presentation, a date or your wedding -- and you notice that your underarms are sweating. No matter how much deodorant you used, it just wouldn’t stop and cause the water mark on your shirt or beautiful top, and more serious body odour (bromhidrosis). What can you do about it? The answer is Botox.
Commonly asked questions: Q
Answers from the CLINIC's Expert team: C
Q: Why can Botox stop excessive sweating?
C: This cosmetic treatment is actually a neurotoxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum (which is found in soil). It adversely affects our muscle control, causing drooping eyelids and blurry vision, difficulty breathing and swallowing, muscle weakness and paralysis. This ability to paralyze is what makes it useful in fixing furrows and, as it turns out, treating excessive sweating.
Q: How can Botox help?
C: Each treatment may include several injection points concentrated in the affected area. When Botox is injected into the skin, the treatment affects the signal between the nerve endings and the sweat glands in the dermis. The botulism toxin binds itself to the nerve endings near the injection site and acts like a roadblock. It blocks the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, a chemical our nerve cells make to communicate with each other, and this disrupts the message sent from the nerve endings to stimulate the production of sweat. Botox can also clear the incidental odour with excessive sweating.
Q: How effective is the Botox treatment?
C: The average perspiration rate will usually decrease by 81% after one week of treatment, according to clinical trials1,2. The duration of the effectiveness of your Botox excessive sweating treatment will, of course, depends on your own body.
Q: How long does the result last?
C: Each treatment is expected to last about six months1. After that a repeat Botox treatment will be necessary, if you hope to enjoy the next 8 months sweat-circle and sweat-odour free.
Q: What are the risks of Botox injection on underarm area?
C: There is possible risk and adverse effects in Botox injection, including muscle tiredness, allergic reactions and interactions with other medicines. Like any injection, it does come with a small risk of discomfort, swelling and bleeding. Nevertheless, Botox injection to the armpit is safe when performed by our certified doctor at the CLINIC.
Q: Will Botox block all my sweat glands?
C: Don't worry about blocking the sweat from one or two small areas of the body -- there are plenty of sweat glands to handle the job.
Q: What should I do before the Botox treatment?
C: Consult the CLINIC’s expert team beforehand to learn how to solve your excessive sweating issues safely with Botox. the CLINIC offers a complimentary consultation to assess your excessive sweating issues as well as other skin concerns.
Reference
Botox® US Prescribing Information.
Lowe wt al. Botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of primary axillary hyperhidrosis: a 52-week multicenter double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of efficacy and safety. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2007;56(4):604-611
Photo Credits
Abbey Lee Kershaw for Numéro #123 by Tom Munro