Botox for Hyperhidrosis

Everyone from your boss to your next door neighbor has heard of botox (Botulinum Toxin). You’re perhaps more aware of it’s use as an aging tool with all those makeover shows on TV and gossip magazines full of rich middle aged celebrities (and even younger) getting their botox. But what you may not know that well is Botox can actually be used to treat Hyperhidrosis. You may have seen this procedure done on TV on one of the many shows about embarrassing conditions, embarrassing bodies in the UK for instance.

What is Botox for Hyperhidrosis?

To be more factual, Botox is a registered Hyperhidrosis treatment that involves several small injections into the skin of Botulinum Toxin. It’s primarily used to treat the underarms, but it has been known to be used on the hands and feet, although it’s not recommended for a whole host of reasons which I’ll go into later on.

Botox itself is a solution of protein which when injected into the skin, shuts down the nerve endings which lead to the eccrine sweat glands, causing sweat production to come to a standstill. The effects are temporary with time-frames of around 3-8 months  of relief from excessive sweating. After this time frame the nerve endings have reformed and the sweat glands will rise from the ashes and begin to produce sweat again.

Costs for botox hyperhidrosis range quite steeply, with the lower prices coming in at $1000 and the higher prices at around $5000, depending on the area being treated. The prices rise and fall depending on city, state, and country.

As Hyperhidrosis is now medically approved as a skin condition, many insurers and health services will offer to pay for the treatment in full, providing that you’ve exhausted all other options for underarm sweating. So get in touch with your medical insurance or health service/doctor to talk about cover for the treatment before you book in for a Botox session.

For those a little squeamish at the thought of pain, dermatologists use various pain killing methods which include local anesthetic, pain-killing creams, ice, nerve blockers, and vibrations.

Common Questions about Botox for Hyperhidrosis

Some common concerns people have about Botox injections that I haven’t already discussed:

  1. Are there side effects from botox for hyperhidrosis? – Yes there are certain side effects to Botox treatment for hyperhidrosis, although they’re not very common. One of which is to do with compensatory sweating. Some patients have experienced sweating in other areas of the body after treatment.  On rare occasions Botox can spread from the injection site to a nearby nerve that supplies the muscle causing temporary weakness of the arm. Flu like symptoms have also been reported after treatment, but they have dissipated within a few days. The only other obvious side effect of this treatment is that the injected area may remain tender for a while.
  2. How long do Botox treatments last? - Depending on the expertise of the Dermatologist it should take no longer than 20 minutes. However, the hands and feet harbour several more nerve endings than the underarms, so this would effectively take longer for it to be a thorough treatment.
  3. How long does it take for botox to work? – After the initial treatment the effects are instant providing all nerve endings have been hit.
  4. Where can I get Botox treatment for Hyperhidrosis? – Well, it’s important that you speak with a health professional who is aware of Botox as a treatment for hyperhidrosis first of all. You can then discuss your various options with him/her before being referred to the best person for the job.

What to do now?

What you need to do if you haven’t already done so is speak with doctor to discuss all possible avenues open to you. He/she may suggest using a different approach such as prescription antiperspirants such as Drysol, or other treatments such as Iontophoresis for example. If Botox is one of your final options then speak to your medical insurers or health service to find out if you will be covered or not, if you are they may have their own list of reputable Dermatologists who can perform the procedure.

I hope you find the treatment that’s right for you, and as always GOOD LUCK!