Hyperhidrosis and Botox
In the year 2004, Botox was approved by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) for treating critical primary axillary hyperhidrosis, or excessive underarm sweating. This treatment was aimed at providing relief to patients who suffer from extreme sweating in the underarm area that cannot be resolved with the use of antiperspirants. Axillary hyperhidrosis is considered to be the most common type of hyperhidrosis.
Causes of Hyperhidrosis
Some of the common causes of hyperhidrosis include the following:
• Medications
• Extremely large sweat glands
• A wound that affects a certain part of the sympathetic nervous system
• Metabolic disorder
The condition of hyperhidrosis is usually hereditary and is triggered or exaggerated by high temperatures or anxiety.
Why Botox?
Botox is injected into the patient’s muscles in small doses. It helps in blocking the nerves that signal the eccrine glands, thus preventing sweat production. Botox is a drug that has been in use for several years. It is used in multiple cosmetic procedures and also for treatment of muscle spasms that affect the face, neck, and eyes.
Research has shown that it is absolutely safe to treat the abnormal sweating of hands, head, face, feet, and armpits (and other smaller body areas) with Botox. Treatment of excessive underarm sweating with Botox helps to reduce perspiration by almost 82 to 87 percent.
Botox is typically considered as a line of treatment when various topical treatments including medications, iontophoresis, and antiperspirants fail to show any results. It is important to note that Botox helps to treat only small areas of the body and isn’t a practical option for the treatment of generalized hyperhidrosis.
How It Works
When injected, Botox works to block the chemical messenger that sends signals to the sympathetic nervous system. This way, the messages fail to reach the sweat glands. In the absence of a chemical message, the sweat glands are unable to produce sweat.
The body starts producing fresh nerve endings within six to twelve weeks. The new endings are capable of receiving messages and sending them to your sweat glands. This means that slight sweating will return after a period of six to twelve weeks.
The Treatment
Ideally, before coming in for your treatment, you should not shave the area where the Botox injections will be administered. Several physicians prefer some degree of hair growth in the area to aid in executing this treatment.
During the procedure, an extremely fine needle will be used to inject small quantities of Botox into the area experiencing excessive sweating. The treatment is usually done with the aid of anesthetic techniques like vibration analgesia, ice, or nerve blocks to make the patient as comfortable as possible during injection.
The procedure may be repeated a couple of times as necessary depending on each individual case. There is hardly any recovery time following the Botox treatment and no restrictions imposed on leisure activities or work.
Schedule Your Appointment
Dr. Rai, an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon, regularly serves patients in the Dallas region. If you would like to find out more about Botox for hyperhidrosis from Dr. Rai during a consultation, contact our office and schedule your appointment.
Dr. Vasdev Rai
Dr. Vasdev Rai has performed more than 25,000 cosmetic surgeries over his more than 30 years in practice as a Dallas plastic surgeon. He is a board-certified plastic surgeon who was first certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in 1983. Learn More...
Dr. Surjit Rai
Dr. Surjit Rai was born and raised in Plano, Texas. Being the son of a plastic surgeon, Dr. Rai had the unique opportunity to see first-hand the impact a plastic surgeon can have. He knew at a young age that he would dedicate his life and academic career towards the goal of becoming a plastic surgeon. Learn More...