What is hyperhydrosis:

Hyperhydrosis is excessive sweating that may have significant impact on a person’s life such as social embarrassment, Interference with daily functions including intimacy, activities of daily living, and certain kinds of employment; physical discomfort and impact on health-related quality of life.

What do you need to know about Botox for Sweating?

• Botox is a neurotoxin. BOTOX® Cosmetic is a natural, purified protein produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. However, it’s safe if used appropriately by a medical professional.
• Doctors use Botox to treat medical conditions like migraine, muscle spasms, and hyperhydrosis, a condition characterized by abnormal and excessive sweating.
• If your excessive sweating causing you social embarrassment and affecting your function and fails to improve with prescription antiperspirants or you get slide effects form the use of medication or topical treatment for hyperhydrosis then you may be a candidate for Botox .
• Botox has been FDA-approved to treat excessive sweating from the armpits. It may can also be used “off-label” to reduce sweating in other areas, such as hands, feet, and face.

Pros of Botox for excessive sweating:

• Less invasive than surgical treatment
• Minimal pain when injected in the armpits
• Generally safe
• Effective treatment: almost 90 percent
• Decrease in sweat production 2 weeks after the procedure

Cons of Botox for sweating

• Injection can be slight painful if injected in the palms or soles of the feet.
• Pain and other side effects are possible, but generally mild and short lasting
• Follow up injections are needed roughly every 7 to 16 months
• Only FDA-approved to treat armpits

How do Botox injections work to treat sweating?

• Sweating is an important physiological response to rise in body temperature.
• Normally, your nervous system activates your sweat glands when the body temperature rises. This is important to cool your body down and it occurs automatically. In people with hyperhidrosis, however, the nerves that signal the sweat glands are overactive.
• Botox block the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which binds with your sweat glands to signal the release of sweat.
• Botox only prevents sweating in the specific area where it’s injected.

Where is Botox used on the body to treat sweating?

Currently, Botox has only been approved for the treatment of underarm sweating. There’s ample evidence that Botox can reduce armpit sweat production by more than 50 percent for at least 6 months.

Doctors use it “off-label” to treat other areas of the body.

• Palms: Some limited studies found that Botox may help reduce palm sweating by roughly 25 to 50 percent for 3 weeks to 6 months.
• Face: Some limited studies found that Botox may help reduce facial sweating for 5 to 6 months with the most common side effect being temporary weakness of muscles in the forehead.
• Soles of feet: Botox may help control sweating on the soles of the feet, but studies are limited.