If you suffer from this condition you will know firsthand of its detrimental effect on your life.Your GP may have offered prescription anti-perspirants containing Aluminium Chloride, only to be dismayed that they have little or no effect. You may have considered the drastic step of having surgery – but there are other options that are longer term than anti-perspirants, don’t involve inpatient surgery and are highly effective.
These include:
Botulinum Toxin® Injections
Very fine injections of botulinum toxin have been used with almost 100% success to treat axillary hyperhidrosis for several years now and Botox has been licensed by the MRHA to be used for such treatments. Sometimes an iodine and starch are placed on your armpit to locate the overactive sweat glands, but this is not always necessary. Once the armpit has been cleaned and prepared, the doctor will place tiny injections in to the skin. These sting a little bit but each armpit treatment will take about 5-10 mins. Afterwards you will be able to go home or back to work and carry on with your day as normal. The effects of the treatment will usually start within a couple of weeks and you will be invited back for a complimentary review after a month, where further treatment will be provided if necessary.
Many people benefit for about 4-6 months, so they tend to budget for 2-3 treatments a year.
However, if the results don't last as long as that or you prefer a more permanent solution then consider VASER Sweat Therapy.
VASER Sweat Therapy
VASER Sweat therapy is a minor surgical procedure carried out under twilight sedation and local anaesthesia. The procedure was first described in 2008 in the USA and we at Riverbanks Clinic are the 1st clinic in the UK to offer this technique.
The surgeon will use the ultrasound probe of the VASER system to gently emulsify the sweat glands in the skin in the armpit. The unique grooves on the VASER probes allow a gentle scraping away of the sweat glands, offering a longer term solution to sufferers when compared to BOTOX injections.
You will need a few days off work afterwards as your under arms will feel sore and stiff for a few days. You will have to wear a light dressing/compression garment for a few days but after that you can return to normal activities but with less sweating!