BOTOX® Severe Sweating | Underarm Sweating :: BOTOX® Treatment Options for Excessive Armpit Sweating

A number of different treatments and products are available to help people with severe underarm sweating. Here’s an overview of some you may have heard about or considered trying. If you have any questions about which treatment option may be right for you, speak with your dermatologist. Antiperspirants/Deodorants Often considered the "first line" of treatment for severe underarm sweating, over-the-counter antiperspirants work by blocking sweat ducts, thereby reducing the amount of perspiration that reaches the skin. The most widely used ingredients in antiperspirants are metallic salts, including aluminum chloride hexahydrate. Deodorants help control body odor, which is caused by a reaction between bacteria and sweat. The deodorants work by making the skin more acidic, and hence less attractive to bacteria. They are often used in combination with antiperspirants to help control sweating in addition to odor. Prescription Antiperspirants/Deodorants Your doctor may prescribe a stronger antiperspirant for your severe underarm sweating, available from your pharmacist. Like over-the-counter antiperspirants, these also work by blocking sweat ducts, thereby reducing the amount of perspiration that reaches the skin.

Alternative Therapy Herbal remedies such as sage tea or sage tablets, chamomile, valerian root, and St. John’s wort, as well as biofeedback, acupuncture, hypnosis, and relaxation techniques, are sometimes suggested as treatments for severe underarm sweating. BOTOX^® Treatment BOTOX^® is approved by the FDA to treat the symptoms of severe underarm sweating when medicines used on the skin (topical) do not work well enough. BOTOX^® neurotoxin is injected into the affected areas to help control this condition by temporarily blocking the chemical signals from the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands. When the sweat glands don’t receive chemical signals, the severe sweating stops. To learn more, see Can BOTOX^® Treatment Help? Iontophoresis This procedure involves sending a small electrical current to the surface of the affected area while it is submerged in water. In general, treatments must be repeated 3-4 times per week. The procedure can be done at home using a home device. Iontophoresis can be used for treating severe underarm sweating. Surgery A variety of surgical approaches have been used to treat severe underarm sweating, but they are usually reserved for the most extreme cases that do not respond to other treatments. One of the most common types of surgery used today for this condition is called endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS). With ETS, the patient is put to sleep with general anesthesia and then the surgeon attempts to interrupt the transmission of nerve signals between the spinal column and sweat glands in the affected area. This procedure requires special training. Other types of surgery sometimes used for severe underarm sweating include liposuction and removal of the sweat glands under the armpits.