Paralyze Those Sweat Glands with Botox

Hyperhidrosis, or excessive perspiration is a problem for millions of Americans. It presents a hindrance when exercising, in warm temperatures, or under stressful situations. Those who sweat as a result of anxiety find that the problem becomes exacerbated in stressful situations and can result in embarrassment and an attempt to avoid those situations that provoke profuse sweating. Until recently, there was little people could do other than re-apply deodorant throughout the day or change clothes frequently. Board certified Manhattan plastic surgeon Dr. Steve Fallek has been at the forefront of a new FDA Approved application for Botox injections which serve to paralyze the sweat glands for up to eight months at a time.

Hyperhidrosis afflicts both men and women and can occur on the palms, feet and armpits. This condition can manifest as early as adolescence. Attempted cures can be extremely costly ranging from over the counter products to other medications. Some doctors have attempted passing low electrical currents through the sweat glands which is short term, not very effective, and requires multiple visits to the doctor. Patients have even gone as far as major surgery which has not proven to remedy the problem either.

Now, we have a safer, more effective therapy in the form of Botox injections into the armpits. These injections can render a person sweat free from six to eight months. The injection in the armpit is painless. The injections work by paralyzing or shutting off the sweat glands. Most people are familiar with the use of Botox to eliminate wrinkles of the forehead which function by paralyzing the corrigator muscle so it cannot form a wrinkle. By paralyzing the sweat gland, the mechanism to secrete sweat is literally shut down.

In two placebo-controlled, multi-center, randomized, double-blind clinical trials involving over 600 adults, those who received Botox had significantly reduced underarm sweating as compared to the placebo group. In one study, four weeks after being injected, the percentage of people showing a 50% reduction in sweating was 91% in the group receiving Botox compared to 36% in the placebo group. In another study, the average duration of response following the first treatment was 170 days. The most common adverse events following treatment (occurring in three to 10% of patients) included injection site pain and hemorrhage, sweating in other parts of the body, flu-like symptoms, headache, fever, itching, and anxiety.

Before being treated for primary axillary hyperhidrosis, patients should be evaluated for other potential causes of the problem, such as hyperthyroidism, to avoid symptomatic treatment of hyperhidrosis with Botox without addressing a potentially serious underlying disease that requires other forms of treatment.

The safety and effectiveness of Botox for hyperhidrosis in body areas other than the axillae (armpits) has not been established. Relatively large amounts of Botox may be needed, and the cost can be as high as $1200 per treatment. However, many patients suffering from this chronic disease feel that the benefits of effective treatment far outweigh the costs.

"Unless you or someone you know has severe hyperhidrosis, it is very difficult to imagine how devastating a problem it can be," says Dr. Fallek. "Fortunately, plastic surgeons now have an excellent, non-surgical, minimally invasive FDA-approved treatment that can help our patients lead normal lives."

The good news is that people of virtually any age are candidates for this technique. For those who have lived with an embarrassing sweat problem and costly dry cleaning bills, Botox offers a safe and effective technique for remaining sweat free throughout the year.