Excessive sweating can be very uncomfortable for those affected. In extreme cases, this condition can not only be annoying but can even lead people to limit their social contacts. Through very superficial injections of Botulinumtoxin into the affected areas, it is possible to calm the sweat glands in this area for up to 6 months, so that sweat is not produced at all. The method enjoys excellent tolerability.
Important Facts
- Treatment duration: 30 minutes
- Anesthesia: Local anesthetic cream
- Aftercare: None
- Result: after 3-5 days, maximum effect is achieved after about 10 days and lasts about 6 months
- Pain level: low in the armpits, moderate on hands and soles of feet due to the high density of sensitive nerve endings
- Social readiness: Immediate
- Price: from 550€
Why Do We Sweat
Sweating is a natural mechanism by which our body regulates its temperature. When the outside temperature rises significantly or body temperature increases due to physical exertion or emotional excitement, sweat glands become active and produce a watery fluid that evaporates on the body surface, thus removing heat from the body. This cools our body. If humans couldn’t sweat, we would have to pant like a dog or take frequent breaks to cool down.
Most of us sweat about half a liter at rest over the course of a day. During physical exertion, the amount of sweat secretion can increase significantly. Fresh sweat has a neutral odor. It’s only through bacterial decomposition of the secretion that the unpleasant smell of sweat that other people perceive develops. In addition to physical exertion, for example during sports, nervousness can also promote sweating; sweaty hands are a phenomenon many people are familiar with.
Excessive Sweating - Hyperhidrosis
There are people who suffer from excessive sweating. Even with little exertion, there is a disproportionately high sweat secretion, especially in the armpits, or on the hands or feet. This is often very uncomfortable for those affected because visible sweating signals in our society that the person has reached the limits of their resilience, emotionally or physically. This is mistakenly interpreted by others as a sign of weakness or insecurity. Both in professional and private life, the symptoms of hyperhidrosis can thus have a stigmatizing effect on affected patients.
What Types of Hyperhidrosis Exist - Primary and Secondary Hyperhidrosis
The medical term for excessive sweating is hyperhidrosis. A distinction is made between so-called primary and secondary hyperhidrosis.
Secondary Hyperhidrosis
In secondary hyperhidrosis, there are causes such as hormonal irregularities, for example during menopause, obesity (adiposity), diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, or side effects of medications that are responsible for the excessive activity of the sweat glands. If such reasons exist, it is of course sensible to primarily address these therapeutically.
Primary Hyperhidrosis
In contrast to secondary hyperhidrosis, in primary hyperhidrosis, no cause can be found for the greatly increased sweat production. There is a disturbance in the body’s own regulatory mechanism. About 1-3% of the population suffers from this type of excessive sweating.
The affected patients sweat excessively on their palms (palmar hyperhidrosis), the soles of their feet (plantar hyperhidrosis), in the facial or neck area (craniofacial hyperhidrosis) or in the armpits (axillary hyperhidrosis). Even during normal daily activities, visible sweat stains form on clothing.
Although the symptoms are harmless in themselves, they are often perceived as extremely psychologically distressing by the people who suffer from them. They often lead to a restriction of social contacts. Certain items of clothing are avoided, and even in professional life, extremely uncomfortable situations can arise, for example, when one tries to avoid a handshake because one is afraid that the other person will notice one’s sweaty hands. The psychological stress that those affected experience often manifests itself in a further increase in sweat secretion.
A normal body function thus becomes an emotional burden, even though it is not a disease in the actual sense.
Which treatment methods are available for hyperhidrosis
There are various methods for treating excessive sweating, ranging from home remedies to Botox and surgery, with each treatment option having different advantages and disadvantages.
Home remedies for excessive sweating
One can try to slightly reduce sweat secretion with the help of home remedies such as sage drops. However, this method is far from sufficient for severe cases.
Aluminum-containing deodorants
Locally applicable preparations against sweating contain the active ingredient aluminum chloride. They are mixed as special deodorants or creams in pharmacies and can reduce sweat production. Aluminum-containing deodorants with lower concentrations are also available in drugstores. These substances can also be applied overnight to reduce sweating the next day.
However, aluminum as an active ingredient has recently fallen into disrepute, as it is suspected of promoting various disease patterns. The study situation regarding this is still unclear. Additionally, many patients react to aluminum-containing substances with skin irritations, and dark textiles can be bleached by high concentrations of aluminum chloride.
Tap water iontophoresis
This treatment method uses direct current to reduce the activity of sweat glands. The disadvantage is that you really have to repeat the treatment regularly to achieve a successful reduction in sweating. Several treatments per week are recommended at the beginning.
Hyperhidrosis treatment with surgery
In this method, the sweat glands are removed by surgery. This is actually a treatment procedure with a permanent effect, however, as with all surgical procedures, certain risks or undesirable side effects can occur, such as wound infections.
Botox for hyperhidrosis
If the treatments listed above do not provide sufficient relief, or are not an option, injections with Botox are also available for treating excessive sweating.
What is Botox and how does it help against hyperhidrosis
Botox is known to many patients as a means of combating expression lines. But the same substance can also be used for the treatment of hyperhidrosis. Botox has an inhibiting effect on the sweat glands and is scientifically well-researched. It blocks the nerve impulses that stimulate secretion. Thus, sweat is not produced at all.
The agent is well-tolerated and hardly any side effects occur when used correctly.
How does the treatment of hyperhidrosis with Botox work
First, a so-called iodine starch test is performed in the area of the armpits. This makes the sweat glands visible. This prevents individual scattered areas from being overlooked during treatment. The exact extent of the sweat glands is then marked on the skin with a felt-tip pen and divided into small fields. To make the treatment of the sensitive regions as comfortable as possible, a cold spray is used to make the skin less sensitive.
Then, Botox is administered directly into the skin layer where the sweat glands are located using the finest cannulas.
When does the effect of Botox against hyperhidrosis set in and how long does it last
After about 3-5 days, patients notice a significant reduction in the amount of sweat, and after about 10 days, the armpits are almost completely dry with successful treatment.
After about 6 months, the botulinum toxin has been completely broken down and the effect wears off. The treatment must then be repeated to maintain the suppression of sweating.
Are there side effects when treating excessive sweating with Botox?
The treatment of excessive sweating with Botox has very few side effects and is well-tolerated. The procedure has been used for many years and is considered safe.
Apart from small bruises and short-term redness, hardly any side effects are to be expected.
The fear that you will sweat more in other places to compensate is unfounded, as is the fear that the body will overheat because the overactive sweat glands are inhibited.
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