Everyone is familiar with the act of sweating. Because we as humans are not born with an internal air conditioning system, sweating serves as a useful alternative. The hot and sticky liquid that pours from our sweat glands usually only does so on overly hot days or while exerting ourselves during physical exercise. We can also sweat when emotionally stressed or while feverish when sick. Eating spicy foods does the trick in some cases. Not only does sweating cool us down, but it also works as a detoxification system for bacteria and heavy metals.
For some unfortunate souls, sweating occurs even without the presence of heat, stress, or spicy foods. They don’t even have to be exercising or feverish for the sweat to come pouring out of their overactive sweat glands. Known as hyperhidrosis, excessive sweating can be downright embarrassing, particularly during times when impressing someone is paramount, such as during job interviews
Imagine becoming so sweaty that your shirts bleed through. When it becomes really bad, you may have to change your clothes often, not to mention your bed sheets at night.
If you are sick of sweating through your clothes for no apparent reason, hyperhidrosis treatments may be right for you. This post will present two suitable treatments for this uncommon problem that only affects around 1% of the population. You can learn more about these treatments by scheduling a consultation with Doctor Babak Moein of Moein Surgical Arts in Los Angeles, California.
What is Excessive Sweating and What Causes It?
Excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis is characterized by overactive sweat glands in the hands, feet, and underarms. Some individuals experience the problem in one of these areas while others experience increased sweating in a combination of areas.
Even if only one area of the body excessively sweats, the condition can negatively affect your quality of life. The exact cause of hyperhidrosis remains unknown, though common attributes have been noted. Experts only know that the condition seems to be controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, which typically responds during situations that cause us fear or stress. It is not well understood why patients with excessive sweating appear to have constant increased activity of their nervous systems.
What Causes Sweat Glands to Overact?
While doctors are still trying to understand the true causes of hyperhidrosis, they do recognize two primary types of the condition. Primary hyperhidrosis (also known as focal hyperhidrosis) causes excessive sweating in the hands, underarms, feet, and sometimes even the face. There is no apparent reason. The condition may even be genetic.
Secondary hyperhidrosis (also referred to as generalized hyperhidrosis) causes overactive sweating all over the body or in larger bodily areas. This form of the condition can be because of excessive heat, a medical condition, or medication you might be taking.
Individuals with primary hyperhidrosis sweat from a certain type of gland called eccrine sweat glands. You can imagine how embarrassing this can be because eccrine glands compose a majority of the 2 to 4 million sweat glands located throughout the body. Your palms, feet, armpits, and face contain many of these glands. You don’t need heat or physical exercise for these glands to act up. Sometimes only thinking of an anxiety-inducing situation can make you sweat like crazy.
Individuals with secondary hyperhidrosis tend to experience excessive sweating all over their bodies. The problem is highly likely to occur during sleep as well as during the daytime. Secondary hyperhidrosis can happen because of pregnancy, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, anxiety, obesity, and Parkinson’s disease. Alcohol or substance abuse can also lead to bodily-wide excessive sweating.
Some medications can cause the condition, such as Alzheimer’s drugs, antidepressants, diabetes drugs, and drugs meant to treat glaucoma.
Doctors will usually first try to treat the underlying condition before tackling your excessive sweating problem if secondary hyperhidrosis is affecting your life quality.
Med-Spa Treatments that Can Treat Hyperhidrosis
You do not have to suffer from excessive sweating. While doctors sometimes recommend prescription antiperspirants or medications, these treatments are non-surgical, non-invasive, safe, and effective.
Known as medical-spa techniques, the two treatments we are about to mention are traditionally used for anti-aging purposes. Most people use them to rid their faces of wrinkles or to create glowing skin that appears years younger than their chronological age.
The bottom line is that instead of hiding your problem under multiple layers of clothing or moving to a location with a colder climate, you can find relief with these proven methods that will once and for all remove hyperhidrosis from your life.
Botox
Botox is a drug made from a neurotoxin made by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The same toxin causes food poisoning known as botulism. But do not worry. Used in small doses, Botox can safely treat a number of ailments.
Botox injections work by paralyzing or weakening certain muscles. The injections can also block certain nerves. The effects of Botox last up to a full year, depending on the condition you are treating. As with all medical treatments, Botox does come with risks. Common risks for neurotoxin injections include bruising, swelling, and pain.
Common Uses for Botox
People use Botox for all kinds of reasons, including chronic migraines, overactive bladder, depression, premature ejaculation, severely cold hands, cleft lip scars in babies, severe neck spasms, painful sex, cosmetic wrinkle reduction, as well as hyperhidrosis.
Read our article: 25 Amazing Uses for Injectable Neurotoxin Injections You May Not Know About
How Does Botox Help with Hyperhidrosis?
Botox is a particularly effective treatment for primary hyperhidrosis. The injections block the nerve signals responsible for sweating. Once injected, Botox stops the sweat glands from overly producing sweat.
The injections are usually well-treated by patients, and the treatment is highly effective in preventing the sweat glands from overacting. The area that tends to respond best to botulinum injections is the underarm, but the injections can also be used on the hands and feet.
The Botox injection procedure is fairly straightforward. A numbing cream is first applied to the treatment area, which takes around an hour to take effect. The doctor will then clean the area before making several injections with an extremely tiny needle. Results are not immediate, with most people experiencing a decrease in excessive sweating after five days. Others may see improvement within two weeks.
Botox injections are not a permanent treatment for hyperhidrosis. You will usually require retreatment in four to six months, as the nerves regenerate. But most can go longer between treatments the more Botox is used.
How Much Does Botox Cost?
You can expect to pay around $1,000 for this FDA-approved hyperhidrosis treatment. While the FDA has only approved BOTOX to be used for excessive sweating under the arms, the treatment can also be used on the palms and bottoms of the feet.
Some insurance providers cover some or all of the costs associated with Botox injections for excessive sweating. Your insurance company typically wants to see that you have tried other options first, such as prescription antiperspirants.
Fractora
Fractora is a skin treatment that combines two stand-alone therapies (radio frequency and micro-needling) to rejuvenate and resurface the skin. The med-spa technique works by delivering gentle radiofrequency heat to the skin by the Fractora microneedle pins at a depth of around 1 mm, which promotes collagen production. The general idea is to create micro-lesions that promote regenerated skin once healed. The micro-lesions are scattered and methodical, which causes the skin to heal more quickly than if lasers were used to ablate the skin directly.
Common Uses for Fractora
Fractora is typically used for anti-aging. The technique can be used in any area that requires rejuvenation. Common treatment areas include the upper and lower eyelids, smile lines, cheeks, mouth, forehead, and neck. Fractora can also be used as a treatment for cystic acne, acne scarring, and hyperhidrosis.
The process for administering Fractora takes around 30 minutes, depending on the area to be treated. A numbing cream is first applied, which takes between 10 and 15 minutes to take effect. The results are permanent, yet additional treatments may be used for maximum effect.
The fractional laser used during Fractora treatments may cause mild discomfort. The numbing cream will help immensely during the treatment. If you are extra sensitive to pain, oral medication or nerve blocks can help to make you comfortable.
How Does Fractora Help with Hyperhidrosis?
Fractora aims to treat overactive sweat glands in the armpits. Applying the radiofrequency energy to the armpits causes the sweat glands to reduce their output. A single session takes around 45 minutes with results becoming apparent within a few weeks.
How Much Does Fractora Cost?
This non-surgical radiofrequency treatment for excessive sweating costs $1,250, on average. The total cost for your treatment depends on how many areas are being treated and the experience level of the med-spa technician or cosmetic surgeon.
Imagine Life without Excessive Sweating Weighing You Down
For those who don’t sweat excessively, this problem may not seem that severe. But as someone who experienced hyperhidrosis, you know how much of a drag it can be. In a particular study about individuals suffering from excessive sweating, the condition affected several important areas of their life.
Many said that hyperhidrosis affected their choice of clothing or the hobbies they engaged in. Sweating excessively in the palms made it more difficult to use tools or open jars. Some stopped using cash because the bills would become wet, adding to their embarrassment at the store.
Hand sweating makes it more difficult to use touch technology, such as phones and computers, and then there is the general low self-esteem that comes from being different from everybody else.
If these issues sound familiar, you are not alone. You may find it difficult to get close to people, date, or get intimate. The issue can also cause hygiene problems. You may find yourself excessively bathing because you always smell bad. Even if you do bathe often, you might develop rashes because of your overactive sweat glands.
Most importantly, you may find that you spend more of your life than you’d prefer dealing with this annoying problem.
By now you know that you don’t have to live with excessive sweating any longer. If you suffer from primary hyperhidrosis, you now have two advanced treatment options you can turn to. These med-spa techniques are safe, effective, and available now at a cosmetic surgeon’s office near you.
Schedule a Consultation for Hyperhidrosis Treatment in Los Angeles
If you suffer from hyperhidrosis and live in & near Los Angeles, California, treatment for your problem is only a phone call away. You are encouraged to call Moein Surgical Arts, which is home to world-renowned cosmetic surgeon Doctor Babak Moein.
In addition to offering a comprehensive menu of cosmetic surgery techniques, such as breast augmentation, buttocks augmentation, male breast reduction (gynecomastia surgery), facelift, eyelid surgery, brow lift, tummy tuck, liposuction, arm lift, and thigh lift, Doctor Moein also offers a range of med-spa therapies.
Treating hyperhidrosis is one of the specialties of Doctor Moein. The med-spa techniques Doctor Moein offers can rejuvenate the skin, remove wrinkles, treat blemishes like acne scars, as well as remove hyperhidrosis from your life. Doctor Moein wants to meet with you if you suffer from this embarrassing treatment and need help fast. Get the help you need with your overactive sweat glands and improve your quality of life by dialing (310)694-4486 to schedule a consultation.