Hyperhidrosis Treatment
Try BOTOX® to Stop Excessive Sweating
Hyperhidrosis is the technical name for excessive sweating—a medical condition that causes the body to regularly produce an especially significant amount of perspiration. The problem can cause frustration as frequent sweat stains appear and prompt seemingly endless changes of clothes. It can also lead to physical discomfort, since wearing fabric that is continually damp contributes to chafing, peeling skin, and skin infections. Anyone suffering from this condition should know that using BOTOX® for hyperhidrosis at Albuquerque’s Western Dermatology Consultants can effectively manage the symptoms, keeping underarms dry for more than half a year at a time.
The popular BOTOX® injectable is more than a cosmetic that treats fine lines and wrinkles. When it comes to hyperhidrosis, the prescription treatment works to block signals sent to sweat glands, temporarily preventing them from producing sweat.
To treat excessive underarm sweating (hyperhidrosis), Albuquerque’s Western Dermatology Consultants team carefully injects BOTOX® into a tube known as the lumen in sweat glands. This prevents the targeted glands from activating for four months to a year.
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Learn more about treatment for hyperhidrosis from Albuquerque′s Western Dermatology Consultants. Call the trusted experts at 505-855-9267 to schedule a free consultation or inquire online about a visit.
What Causes Hyperhidrosis?
With an estimated three percent of the U.S. population suffering from hyperhidrosis, the skin condition is not common, but still impacts almost 10 million people each year. It can start at any age and affects people of any race.
Everyone naturally sweats when the weather is hot, but people who have hyperhidrosis regularly experience excessive sweating without a particular cause. The sweat glands usually produce perspiration when the air temperature rises, if someone develops a fever, during exercise, or when something triggers a feeling of nervousness, anxiety, or stress. When these factors are not an issue, the brain turns off the nerve signals that trigger sweating under the required conditions. The three percent of the U.S. population who have hyperhidrosis are unable to switch off the sweat glands and sweat, even when the circumstances do not call for it.
While hyperhidrosis symptoms are consistent from patient to patient, the condition can be triggered by a variety of causes. Diabetes or other medical conditions may be the culprit, or it could be due to injury or hormone shifts. Hyperhidrosis is commonly experienced in the underarm area but may also manifest elsewhere on the body. Patients with the condition may encounter the problem on one or multiple areas.
There are two types of hyperhidrosis: primary and secondary. Primary hyperhidrosis, which is also known as focal hyperhidrosis, is the leading cause of excessive sweating for no apparent reason in the feet, hands, face, and underarms. Secondary hyperhidrosis, which is also generalized as simply hyperhidrosis, is the primary cause of excessive sweating throughout the entire body or within a more substantial portion of the body. This type is caused by medical conditions, medications, or extreme heat.
Underarm Hyperhidrosis Solutions
People who sweat excessively tend to try a variety of solutions or coping mechanisms, from constantly switching to dry clothes to wearing strong antiperspirants. Western Dermatology Consultants uses BOTOX® to address underarm sweating—also known as severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis—by halting chemical messages sent by the brain to glands in the underarm area. Without that stimulation, the glands will not produce sweat. Only the glands in the treated area will halt production, so other areas on the body will still produce sweat as they should.
The injections are administered in small amounts directly into the underarm area, typically about 10 to 15 at a time under each arm. Results should be noticeable within a month of the initial session, with hyperhidrosis symptoms significantly reduced. In some cases, the initial injections may not reach all of the necessary sweat glands, so a follow-up visit may be required to achieve the desired results.
After Effects of Underarm Hyperhidrosis BOTOX®
Albuquerque patients can return to their everyday activities after receiving their underarm treatment. Also, patients should expect a noticeable reduction in sweating in the treated area after two to seven days. However, it can take up to two weeks for sweating to stop at the desired level. Patients should also keep in mind that the effects are strictly temporary, so anyone who wants an ongoing solution will require additional injections after several months. When BOTOX® is used for underarm sweating, the results typically last between four months to a year.
The Western Dermatology Consultants team can explain the details, as well as what to expect and watch for, during an initial consultation to determine the best option for treating a specific case of hyperhidrosis. Since topical medication is also available, a medical history, examination, and possible testing may be required as part of the effort to create the best treatment plan. Whatever the solution, know that the underarms contain only about two percent of the body’s four million total sweat glands, so a patient’s ability to sweat as needed will not be compromised.
Contact Us
Call 505-855-9267 to learn more about BOTOX® for hyperhidrosis in Albuquerque at Western Dermatology Consultants. You can also contact us online.
A Final Word on Neuromodulators
BOTOX® is known as a neuromodulator for the way it acts on nerves in the body. The prescription medication is very powerful, and should only be administered by an experienced and specially trained injector. It is also a unique formulation, so other, similar products—such as Dysport®—are not interchangeable with it. While Dysport® can also be used to smooth out frown lines and other facial wrinkles, Western Dermatology Consultants does not use it to curb excessive sweating.