Do you notice wet underarms, sweat stains, and hard-to-lose body odor more than you think you should? If so, you might have hyperhidrosis, an excessive sweat disorder. Though this condition can be frustrating and embarrassing, there’s good news: Effective treatment solutions exist!
From prescription deodorants to surgical interventions, there are different ways to take on this common disorder. But at Wrinkle Fairy in Chicago, Oak Brook, Naperville, and Arlington Heights, Illinois, Leslie Forrester, APRN, and our care team prefer using safe and effective Botox® to put an end to hyperhidrosis.
If you’re worried about hyperhidrosis, we’re here to unveil the facts about this common sweat disorder, so you can make an informed choice about your treatment options. Read on to learn what you need to know about excessive sweating and how to make it stop.
Sweating is a normal part of life for everyone. Your body’s sweat glands make perspiration to cool your skin’s surface and normalize your body temperature when it’s hot, you have a fever, or your heart rate elevates (like during exercise or with anxiety).
Hyperhidrosis happens when overactive nerves in body areas, like your feet, hands, and underarms, cause your sweat glands to work harder than necessary. This leads you to sweat even when your temperature doesn’t need adjusting.
This common sweat disorder affects more people than you might think. In fact, about 15 million Americans have hyperhidrosis. Everyone’s case of hyperhidrosis is unique, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe.
And because the excess sweat it causes can occur at any time, even when simply sitting at a desk, it can negatively impact your mental and emotional health. In other words, although excess sweat is the only physical symptom of hyperhidrosis, the condition can affect your overall well-being.
The first step in treating hyperhidrosis is getting diagnosed with the condition by a skilled medical professional. This is because hyperhidrosis is sometimes caused by medication or certain underlying health conditions.
After you’ve been diagnosed, your provider discusses your symptoms and goals with you to come up with a treatment plan. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, different treatments may be used.
There is a wide range of hyperhidrosis treatments, from clinical-strength antiperspirants to using electrical currents to target sweat glands to oral medicines that stop your body from producing sweat. In severe cases, surgical removal or alteration of sweat glands may be used.
At Wrinkle Fairy, our providers have found that injections of botulinum toxin, or Botox, are a safe and effective way to treat hyperhidrosis—without systemic side effects medicines can cause or the risks and recovery associated with surgery.
You might be surprised to learn that Botox can treat other conditions than wrinkles and fine lines. But it’s true that Botox is also an effective treatment to stop the excessive sweating associated with this common sweat disorder.
When the botulinum toxin is injected into targeted problem areas, it blocks the nerve responsible for signaling the sweat glands to produce sweat. The result is a temporary end to hyperhidrosis.
You’ll need to start out with booster injections about every four to six months. After a while, the nerves take longer to regrow, giving you more time between boosters. Botox is most commonly injected under the arms, but can also treat your hands and feet.
Botox injections are quick and require no downtime, allowing you to get back to your daily activities right away. Leslie may want to see you in a follow-up appointment to make sure all your target areas are appropriately treated.
Botox is a safe and effective treatment for hyperhidrosis when performed by an experienced professional, like Leslie and the Wrinkle Fairy team. Most Botox patients have few side effects, the most common of which include:
Keep in mind that these generally resolve quickly and are normal side effects for all injections. In fact, with Botox, you experience fewer risks and side effects compared to surgery or oral medications. And unlike oral drugs and prescription-strength antiperspirants, you don’t have to remember a daily dose.
One of the best things about Botox is the way the treatment results build on each other to give you longer-lasting sweat relief. Over time, you’ll require fewer office visits and naturally sweat less.
If you’re ready to say goodbye to excess sweat, today’s the day! Schedule an appointment online or over the phone at the Wrinkle Fairy location nearest you.
