Hyperhidrosis is a physiological, medical condition characterized by excessive or unexpected sweating. While it is natural for the body to sweat, sweating beyond what is necessary to maintain a normal body temperature can be irritating to the skin, embarrassing, and stressful. Minute injections of BTA into the palm, underarm or sole have helped millions of people in treating excessive sweating, also known as hyperhidrosis.
People who suffer from hyperhidrosis may constantly worry about how much they are sweating. Occasionally, people with hyperhidrosis undergo emotional problems, including depression and decreased confidence. When hyperhidrosis affects the hands, feet, armpits, or face, it is called primary hyperhidrosis. When hyperhidrosis is caused by another medical condition or a medication, it is called secondary hyperhidrosis. Many medical conditions may cause secondary hyperhidrosis, including endocrine disorders. Additionally, hyperhidrosis can also be related to anxiety disorders
Neurotoxin (Botulinum toxin A) injections works by blocking the nerves responsible for activating your sweat glands. Normally, your nervous system activates your sweat glands when your body temperature rises. This is how your body automatically cools itself. In people with hyperhidrosis, however, the nerves that signal the sweat glands are overactive. When you receive neurotoxin injections directly into the area of your body that commonly sweats, your overactive nerves are essentially weakened. When your nerves can’t signal your sweat glands, you don’t sweat. Neurotoxin injection prevents sweating in the specific area where it’s injected. In studies, neurotoxin injection was extremely effective in treating underarm sweating and sweaty palms. Studies also show that neurotoxin injections works to treat forehead sweat and researchers believe that neurotoxin injection could help with sweating on the soles of the feet as well.
Treatable Concerns
- Excessive sweating in the underarms
- Excessive facial sweating
- Excessive sweating in the hands
- Hidradenitis suppurativa – a skin condition that causes small, painful lumps to form under the skin when hair follicles and/or sweat glands become clogged and inflamed due to abnormal overgrowth of cells. The condition mostly affects areas where the skin rubs together, such as the armpits, groin, buttocks and breasts.