Sweat Treatment

During excessive sweating treatment, a muscle relaxant is injected into the affected areas. The active ingredient blocks the transmission of nerve impulses into the sweat glands and thus reduces sweating.

A treatment session usually takes 20 to 40 minutes.

Before the treatment, your physician will explain to you how to prepare for the procedure and answer any questions you may have. It is advisable not to consume any blood-thinning medication or alcohol beforehand to minimise the risk of bruising.

Besides treating excessive sweating, a muscle relaxer is also used for treating wrinkles.

Possible side effects include temporary redness, bruising, swelling and, rarely, bruising. However, these are usually mild and temporary. Sweat treatment is minimally invasive, and you are immediately able to socialise again.

The sweat treatment is often described as relatively painless. Local anaesthetics are used to rule out any potential discomfort.

There are two types of hyperhidrosis. First, there is primary hyperhidrosis (focal hyperhidrosis), which describes a condition in which there is no known reason for the excessive sweating. People with primary hyperhidrosis usually start dealing with excessive sweating early in their lives.

Secondary hyperhidrosis describes a condition in which sweating excessively is either the consequence of another medical condition or caused by medications. While primary hyperhidrosis usually affects one or more parts of the body, with secondary hyperhidrosis the whole body is involved.

Possible causes of secondary hyperhidrosis include an overactive thyroid or menopause, which can, for example, also cause excessive sweating at night. Additionally, several medications can lead to excessive sweating, ranging from antidepressants to antipsychotics, opioids, and thyroid medications.

While skin irritations can occur due to excessive sweating over time, the condition itself is typically not dangerous. It can become a concern if secondary sweating is caused by an underlying potentially dangerous disease.

An important factor to note is the effect of excessive sweating on the patient’s quality of life. The international hyperhidrosis society designed a four-point questionnaire to assess how much the condition is affecting a patient’s daily life.

Patients have to choose one of the following 4 options:

1. My sweating is never noticeable and never interferes with my daily activities

2. My sweating is tolerable but sometimes interferes with my daily activities.

3. My sweating is barely tolerable and frequently interferes with my daily activities.

4. My sweating is intolerable and always interferes with my daily activities.

A score of 3 or 4 indicates severe hyperhidrosis. A score of 1 or 2 indicates mild or moderate hyperhidrosis.

The following lifestyle changes can help in the management of excessive sweating:

• Wearing breathable clothing
• Avoiding spicy food
• Quit smoking
• Managing stress
• Choosing a light-weight bedding and a mattress which is made out of breathable materials to deal with night sweats

In addition to surgery and lifestyle changes, there are both oral and topical treatments available.

Topical treatments typically include antiperspirant deodorants, creams, or wipes designed for hands and feet. These products all include aluminum chloride. In fact, the effect of an antiperspirant depends on which amount and type of aluminium chloride is included.

If over-the-counter topical treatments have proven ineffective for you, you might consider prescription antiperspirants. These usually contain a higher concentration or more potent variants of aluminum chloride. However, it should be noted that it remains unclear whether there is a link between aluminum chloride and the increase in breast cancer rates in Western countries.

Another treatment option for excessive sweating is oral medications. Anticholinergics help block nerve impulses and, therefore, have a range of different effects on the body, which include changes in circulation, alertness, and sweat production. Some of the most common medications in this category are oxybutynin and glycopyrronium, also known as glycopyrrolate. Possible side effects of anticholinergics include a dry mouth, constipation, and impaired taste.

There are several surgical treatments designed to destroy or remove sweat glands. However, many of them are primarily used to treat excessive underarm sweating (axillary hyperhidrosis) and are not suitable for treating the hands or feet.

Liposuction is a technique in which a suction device is used to remove a layer of fat under the skin along with the existing sweat glands.

A variant of liposuction is suction curettage. In this procedure, a suction device is combined with the use of a curette, a small medical instrument with sharp edges used to further remove and destroy sweat glands. With this procedure, the majority of the sweat glands under the arms can be permanently removed.

While liposuction is quite effective, it has been replaced in recent decades by less invasive treatments.

Iontophoresis is a treatment that has been used since the fifties to treat excessive sweating of the hands and feet. In the procedure, the body part to be treated is put in water. Passing a mild electric current through the water then temporarily shuts off sweat glands. The treatment is usually effective but may need frequent repetitions. Also, it is not safe to use for pregnant people and people who suffer from certain diseases such as epilepsy or heart diseases.

Another surgical method for treating sweating is endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS). During this treatment, a part of the sympathetic nerve chain, which is part of the nervous system and runs parallel to the spine, is cut and sealed. This procedure permanently inhibits the transmission of the signal for sweating from the brain to the affected areas. Since the procedure can have serious side effects, it is typically considered a last resort if other treatments have not been sufficiently effective.

It's important to note that ETS can lead to compensatory sweating (CS). CS is characterized by increased sweating in areas which were not affected by the treatment.

Compared to surgical procedures, muscle relaxant treatment for sweat gland treatment has several advantages: The minimally invasive procedure produces good results with fewer risks and no downtime.

If you are yet unsure which sweat treatment might be the right one for you, you can book a free skin analysis at one of our HAIR & SKIN clinics at any time. Our dermatologists will review your medical history and discuss your desired results to ensure you receive the best treatment for your needs.