How to Treat Hyperhidrosis or “Excessive Sweating”

Have you heard about the condition called hyperhidrosis?

Hyperhidrosis is a serious medical condition which is commonly known as “excessive sweating”. It mostly affects the palms, soles, underarms as well as other parts of the body. This happens when the cooling mechanism of the body is overactive causing the skin to sweat more than normal.

People who suffer from hyperhidrosis may experience discomfort, anxiety-induced, embarrassment, or even a disruption in social life. It may also affect their emotional well-being and self-confidence.

There are a lot of remedies posted online that can calm down your hyperhidrosis. Among the remedies you can find are; applying the affected area with alcohol, loose powder or over-the-counter/prescribed anti-perspirant. However, the best way to treat this condition is having an appropriate medical procedure such as local sweat gland excision, mild micro-electrical current treatment (Iontophoresis) and Botulinum Toxin (or more commonly known as Botox).

Botox, the brand name of botulinum toxin, is a safe and effective product that is US FDA approved used in certified aesthetic clinics to treat not just skin concerns like wrinkles but also spasms and excessive sweating. It is actually a treatment that is used to improve movement of children with conditions such as spasticity.

Botox works by temporarily weakening the signal from a nerve to a muscle so that the wrinkle formed by muscle contraction relaxes and softens. Botox treats hyperhidrosis by blocking the acetylcholine receptor that activates the sweat glands, disabling its ability to sweat in the areas where it was injected.

The treatment will begin with the application of a numbing cream 15 minutes before the treatment to make the treatment comfortable. Botox is injected into the skin using very fine needles that feel like tiny ant bites. The effects of Botox will start about 5-7 days after the injection. Botox treatment will help to temporarily reduce the excessive sweating. It can decrease the sweat production for 6 to 7 months on an average.

Botox can only be injected by a licensed and properly trained medical doctor from any Singapore medical skin & aesthetic clinic or centre. Botox is a powerful neurotoxin and should only be administered by a doctor who has long years of experience with the treatment to avoid any negative side effects.