An estimated 5% of the world’s population is affected by hyperhidrosis, which is a condition that causes excessive sweating. It can be extremely embarrassing for sufferers, given that the side effects of procuring too much sweat from your over-stimulated sweat glands, include your clothes being damp a lot of the time and you creating copious amounts of body odour.
Wet clothes are physically uncomfortable and psychologically troubling as well, as you may be of the belief that people are looking at you and judging you for being too overweight, unhealthy or menopausal, when in truth, your hyperhidrosis may be unconnected to any of these. Another unwanted side-effect of having this condition is exposing yourself to the increased risk of fungal infections.
Before you become socially withdrawn, or in order to rejoin society with confidence and not worry about which clothes you’re going to wear, let us reassure you that there is an effective remedy available, that is non-invasive and transformative.
Why does hyperhidrosis occur?
Hyperhidrosis can be the result of an existing health condition. Obesity, gout, diabetes, menopausal women and those suffering from hyperthyroidism are all at an increased risk of developing it. However, there are also a lot of sufferers who have over-active sweat glands without any good reason. It can be present from birth, or developed later in life. It can affect only localised areas of the body, or it can affect all of the body at once.
How will medical injections treat it?
Botox is most commonly known as an anti-ageing remedy. Many men and women choose to have Botox administered into the forehead to soften the lines that have formed there over the years and give them a younger appearance, but Botox also has a medical use. Because it works by temporarily halting muscle contraction, it also has the ability to effectively stop sweat glands from producing sweat.
The most commonly affected areas of the body are the armpits, feet, hands and face. In order to stop these areas producing sweat, you will have Botox injected into them. The muscles here will stop contracting and all of a sudden your hyperhidrosis will be effectively managed. The procedure takes under 30 minutes to administer and it’s very safe. It doesn’t hurt, and any swelling or bruising that you have afterwards should settle very quickly.
How long will the results last?
You’ll first notice the results of your medical Botox injections 2-3 days afterwards. You should notice a reduction in sweat. 10-14 days after treatment and you should experience a huge reduction in sweat. This new state of affairs will last for 3-4 months, at which point you can book a top-up appointment to continue your new sweat-free lifestyle. Going forwards, the more you have Botox injections, the longer your results should last.
If you suffer from hyperhidrosis and want to put a stop to excessive sweat, or simply find out more about this treatment, please give us a call to book your consultation. Experienced nurse-practitioner, Emma, will be able to explain in more detail how the treatment works and what you can expect to achieve. Please get in touch.