Sweating is a very normal human response and it happens as our body works to keep us from overheating, particularly in the heat and during exercise. Some of us sweat more than others, and when the sweat response is excessive and uncontrollable, it’s referred to as primary hyperhidrosis. It commonly involves the underarms, palms, and soles and can cause stress for the individual due to social stigmatization (1). Successful and long term treatments are lacking when it comes to excessive sweating. This week I explain how Botox can be used to manage excessive underarm sweating.

When we inject botulinum toxin A (AKA Botox) to the underarm area, the connection between the nervous system and sweat glands is temporarily interrupted (2). There is an abundance of studies showing that these injections are effective; in fact I didn’t come across one to the contrary! Treatment is well tolerated and in one study, 98% of participants said they would recommend the treatment to their friend (3). A typical treatment requires 50 units of botox under each arm and results last 6-8 months (4), with some studies showing it can last as long as 14 months (5). Additional stats from studies show that repeated treatments with Botox is safe and effective with consistently meaningful, long-lasting improvements in an excessive sweating patient’s symptoms, daily functioning, and quality of life.

Sweating is definitely an essential body function for temperature control. The armpits house only a small percentage of the body’s sweat glands therefore temporary cessation of their function has little to do with body temperature regulation.

Treatment time takes about 40 minutes. The under arm area can be sensitive, so we apply numbing cream prior to the injections and can add lidocaine to the solution for added comfort. Dryness can start kicking in at two days with full effects seen in two weeks.

You can schedule direct online through the website anytime!

Resources

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejm200102153440704

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11172190/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11172190/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8959898/

https://www.sweathelp.org/where-do-you-sweat/sweaty-armpits.html