04 September Do You Suffer From Excessive Sweating? Don’t Suffer Any More.
Excessive sweating triggered by stress, anxiety and warmth can limit our social functioning, it can also hinder our employment. There are things that can be done to help. Read on….
Botulinum toxin is a treatment given by injection into the skin. It is licensed in the UK for treating localised hyperhidrosis of the armpit. It is also used widely used for cosmetic purposes.
Botox is a preparation of protein which, when small doses are injected into the skin, blocks the nerves that supply the eccrine glands; this prevents the glands from producing sweat.
The treatment is not a cure for hyperhidrosis – it only provides temporary relief. It needs to be repeated every three to six months for maximum effect.
Although Botox injection is not licensed in the UK for palmar (hands) or plantar (feet) hyperhidrosis, we can treat these conditions at River Aesthetics. The skin in these areas is sensitive, and the treatment can therefore be painful unless an anaesthetic is applied.
Botox is usually considered when topical treatments such as antiperspirants, iontophoresis and medications have been unsuccessful. Botox is only effective in treating small areas and is therefore not a viable option for treating generalised hyperhidrosis.
Sweat glands are actually in the skin, not underneath it. When you sweat, a chemical messenger is sent to the nerves that meet your sweat glands, turning the sweat ‘on’.
When Botox is injected, the toxin blocks the chemical messenger sent to your nerves and so it does not reach the sweat glands. Without the chemical message, the glands cannot turn on the sweating. Botox permanently blocks the nerve endings and so sweat cannot be produced. Within 6-12 weeks, your body starts to produce new nerve endings. These new endings can receive the message to turn those particular sweat glands on, so mild sweating returns. Within 4-12 months, all of the new nerve endings have been produced and the chemical message can be received, turning all of the sweat glands on again. Sweating returns to normal and the treatment has finished.
The Procedure
We will have a consultation with you before the treatment. This helps to determine where sweating occurs at its worst and to ensure that you have no health problems that Botox may interfere with or worsen. We will discuss any potential side effects of the procedure to forewarn you of any unwanted symptoms.
Firstly, the site of injection will be cleaned to avoid infection. Secondly, any anaesthetic that is required will be applied. Thirdly, you will be injected with a very fine needle which will introduce the Botox. Botox is used most frequently with sweating under the arms, with each armpit administered around twenty injections which are completed relatively quickly.
Treatment for the hands and feet is a bit different in that injections can be rather painful and the treatment will take longer. making the procedure a little . Most Botox procedures are over within 15-45 minutes, depending on the site of injection.
Aftercare and possible side effects:
It can take up to a week for the treatment to start working properly so it is important not to expect a miraculous disappearance right away. We advise you to avoid massaging the area or putting pressure on the injection site for a few days, and to avoid strenuous activity. The site may be a little painful and small bruises can form, but these symptoms go away within a day or two.
We advise shaving the axilla 72 hours prior to treatment.
Some patients have experienced an increase in sweating in another part of the body.
The Botox treatment can often cause flu-like symptoms, tiredness and , possibly arm and neck ache for those who have injections in their armpits. These are all temporary symptoms and should disappear in a few days, and not everyone experiences them. There are no severely uncomfortable sensations or effects which should affect your daily life and there are rarely any complications
Don’t sweat in silence! Come and see us, we can help.
