Botox® Injections – Hyperhidrosis

This treatment helps manage symptoms caused by excessive sweating, and is typically delivered to the armpits and hands.

Hyperhidrosis

Sweating is a normal bodily function.

We all sweat to help keep the body at a steady temperature so that all the chemical reactions inside work properly.

We sweat more when it is hot, when we exercise and when we are stressed or anxious.

Some people sweat much more than is needed to control their body temperature and this is known as hyperhidrosis. Some people sweat more than average but might not be diagnosed as having hyperhidrosis by their doctor, if that is the case then you will still find information here to help you.

We don’t know exactly what causes it but it would appear that the nerves that normally make us sweat are more active in patients with hyperhidrosis. Primary Hyperhidrosis tends to start in adolescence or even earlier in childhood, especially when it affects the hands and feet.

When excessive sweating begins later in adult life it nearly always Secondary Hyperhidrosis and there will be an underlying medical cause. Often sweating can be a side effect of prescribed medications but can also be a sign of another underlying medical condition

Axillary Hyperhidrosis (armpits)

Your sweat glands work when they get a message from the body’s nervous system. If they receive too many messages, they’ll keep working and can cause excessive sweating. This is called hyperhidrosis, and if it happens under your arms it ic called axillary hyperhidrosis.

For this treatment, do not shave under your arms or use deoderant for the 24 hours prior to your appointment time. Please wear dark / black clothing as iodine solution is painted onto the skin, which will stain for a few days.

The treatment involves an iodine solution and starch powder being applied to your armpits in order for the doctor to be able to identify the areas that you sweat. This will be followed by a small series of injections into the skin. The needles are very fine and the amount injected each time is tiny. Although there may be some stinging, the whole procedure takes around 20-30 minutes and is not too uncomfortable.

You can resume normal activity after the treatment, but we ask you to rfrain from using deoderant for at least 2/3 days and from any manual/physical activities for the first day or two.

Botox

Botulinum Toxin, otherwise known as ‘Botox’ is a treatment given by injection into the skin.  It is a preparation of protein and when small doses are injected into the skin, it blocks the signals from the nervous system that supply the sweat glands; this stops them working so hard and prevents them from producing so much sweat.

Botox is not a permanent cure and some people may get greater benefit than others. In hyperhidrosis Botox helps to stop or greatly reduce the symptoms. This will usually happen within two weeks of treatment and the effects may last between six and seven months.  If you find that this treatment has helped you, it can be repeated, this will give you the greatest benefit.

Most common side effects are: sweating in sites other than armpits, swelling, stinging and pain in the injection site, headache and hot flushes.

Less common: nausea, itching, temporary muscle pain and weakness, joint stiffness, pain in armpits.

Practitioner & Treatment Pricing

Consultations

To find out how Botox^® could help you, contact us to arrange your consultation. The cost of a consultation is £50.00 which is redeemable against the treatment cost should you proceed (meaning the consultation effectively becomes free and part of the treatment plan).

Further information

Further information can be found at Hyperhidrosis UK.