Often when people think of BOTOX®, the first thing that comes to mind is celebrities, men, and women with smooth, wrinkle-free foreheads. While BOTOX® is among the safest, most popular, and most effective skin smoothing wrinkle treatments available, it also has other benefits and medical uses. These uses include treating chronic migraines, bladder problems, eye spasms, and excessive sweating.
Today, we’ll dive into how BOTOX® can help treat a condition called hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating.
What is Hyperhidrosis?
Sweating is an important mechanism in humans that allows us to regulate our body temperature, in a process known as thermoregulation. Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition characterized by excessive sweating well beyond what is necessary for regulating body temperature.
Since we have sweat glands distributed over our entire body, hyperhidrosis can affect palms, soles of feet, faces, armpits, and pretty much anywhere.
While hyperhidrosis isn’t inherently dangerous (apart from increasing the risk of dehydration), it can significantly affect a person’s quality of life. It can cause discomfort, embarrassment, affect self-esteem, and increase anxiety—all of which may impact work performance, relationships, and simple everyday activities.
How does BOTOX® help treat hyperhidrosis?
BOTOX® injections can be an effective treatment for hyperhidrosis, particularly in cases where other treatments have failed to provide relief.
BOTOX® works by blocking the release of acetylcholine, a chemical neurotransmitter that stimulates sweat glands. When injected into the target area, BOTOX® temporarily paralyzes the nerves that trigger excessive sweating, thereby reducing sweat production in the treated area.
What's the procedure like for treating hyperhidrosis with BOTOX®?
The treatment process for BOTOX® is relatively quick and straightforward. During your appointment, an expert injector will first examine the area and may make marks with a pen or tool to map out specific injection locations. Once they’ve identified the best locations for injection, they will inject small amounts of BOTOX® directly into the affected area, such as the armpits, palms, or soles of the feet. The whole treatment process shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes, depending on the scope of the injections.
How long does it take for BOTOX® to start working?
Contrary to what many people think, the effects of BOTOX® are not instantaneous—the toxin first needs to be transported around the injection site and absorbed into the nerve endings, which can take some time. The area being treated and the dosage can also affect the amount of time it takes for BOTOX® to start working and interacting with the sweat glands.
BOTOX® typically starts to work within a few days to a week after the injections and the full effects usually develop within two weeks of treatment.
How long do the effects of BOTOX last for hyperhidrosis?
Unfortunately, the effects BOTOX® injections don’t last forever. The effects of BOTOX® injections for hyperhidrosis typically last between 4 to 12 months, depending on the individual’s response to treatment, metabolism, and the dosage used for treatment.
How do I maintain the effects of BOTOX for hyperhidrosis?
To maintain the benefits of a BOTOX® treatment, repeat injections are usually required once the effects wear off. The frequency of maintenance injections also varies from person to person, and your injector may provide a follow-up treatment schedule before or after your first injection to ensure you don’t experience hyperhidrosis at an inopportune time in the future.
Are there any risks involved?
BOTOX® injection for hyperhidrosis are generally safe and well-tolerated when administered by an experienced injector who knows what they’re doing. As with most injectable treatments, common side effects are possible and may include temporary pain or discomfort at the injection site, bruising, or mild muscle weakness, but these effects are usually gone within a few days at most.
Find relief from Hyperhidrosis with BOTOX at DermaBlue
Don’t let yourself be limited by excessive sweating. BOTOX® injections can provide relief for many individuals suffering from hyperhidrosis, and greatly improve your quality of life by reducing embarrassment, shame, and anxiety that come along with it.
Contact us today or schedule an appointment online to learn more about how our expert injectors at DermaBlue can help treat your hyperhidrosis today.
Botox For Hyperhidrosis FAQs
Yes, Dysport, which is another brand name for botulinum toxin type A, can be used to treat hyperhidrosis. Dysport works similarly to BOTOX® by blocking the release of acetylcholine and paralyzing the nerves that stimulate sweat glands.
Yes, in many cases insurance can cover BOTOX treatments for hyperhidrosis if you’ve tried other solutions in the past such as medications that did not work. Ultimately, though, it depends on your insurance carrier.
Every patient is different. However, in most cases it will take between 2 to 4 treatments for BOTOX® to stop the sweating.
BOTOX® injections are done using very small needles, so there is usually mild discomfort and BOTOX® treatments for hyperhidrosis are often performed in sensitive areas like the armpit or feet. However, these injections are done quickly and expertly so discomfort is kept to a minimum.
