Excessive Sweating

How treatment works, illustrated

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  Illustration, not a patient result: a prescription injectable reduces the nerve signal to sweat glands in the treated area, for a limited time

What is excessive sweating?

How sweating is controlled

Common causes

• Hormonal change: puberty, pregnancy, menopause and thyroid disorders can all increase sweating.
• Stress and anxiety: emotional triggers activate the same nerve pathway that drives sweating.
• Medication: some antidepressants, diabetes medicines, hormone therapies and other drugs list increased sweating as a side effect.
• Underlying medical conditions: an overactive thyroid, diabetes, infections and, rarely, more serious conditions can cause sweating.

Which kind is it?

The most important thing an assessment does here is decide whether the sweating is the condition itself, or a sign of something else.

Where it happens

Each area is managed differently:

• Underarms

  The most common site.

• Palms

  Sweaty hands affect handshakes, writing, gripping and using phones or keyboards.

• Soles of the feet

  Often accompanies sweaty palms. Constant moisture can lead to slipping in footwear, odour and fungal infection between the toes, which may need treating in their own right.

• Face and scalp

  Sweating from the forehead, scalp or upper lip, often triggered by heat, food or stress.

• Sweating on one side only?

  Sweating that affects only one side of the body or face, or a single small patch, is not the usual pattern of primary hyperhidrosis and should be examined by a doctor promptly.

When to see a doctor

Any of these is a reason to see a doctor:

• Sweating that soaks through clothing, drips, or interferes with work, gripping or daily tasks.
• Night sweats that soak your sleepwear or bedding.
• Unexplained weight loss, fever, a racing or irregular heartbeat, or feeling unusually tired alongside the sweating.
• Sweating that began or increased after starting a new medication.
• Clinical-strength antiperspirant, used correctly for a few weeks, has not made enough difference.

Treatment options at Kaiteki

Excessive sweating is managed in steps, starting with the simplest measures; in-clinic treatment is one step in that sequence.

• Botulinum Toxin

  For focal sweating that topical measures have not controlled

  A prescription injectable the doctor may discuss when primary sweating is confined to defined areas such as the underarms. Small amounts are placed in the skin to interrupt the nerve signal that switches the sweat glands on in that area. It is temporary, needs repeating, and is only considered once secondary causes have been ruled out.

  Botulinum Toxin

Clinical-strength antiperspirant applied to dry skin at night is a reasonable first step. Prescription topicals, oral medication and iontophoresis for hands and feet are discussed individually.

Technology used

Having more than one platform means the doctor can match the device to your skin type and to what is being treated, rather than fitting your skin to a single machine.

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  Injectable

  Botox

  A registered botulinum toxin type A injectable (onabotulinumtoxinA) from Allergan, used within botulinum toxin treatment and dosed in units by a doctor.

  Learn more

Risks and what to expect

• Common and usually temporary

  Discomfort, small bruises, redness or tenderness at the injection points, usually settling within days. In the palms, temporary weakness of grip can occur, which is one reason hands are assessed carefully.

• Less common

  Some people notice more sweating in untreated areas, or skin irritation from topical treatments. Allergic reactions are rare.

• Treating the wrong thing

  The most consequential risk here is managing the sweating while an overactive thyroid, an infection or another underlying cause goes unnoticed.

• What treatment cannot do

  Nothing on this page cures primary hyperhidrosis. In-clinic treatment is temporary and needs repeating, it does not change the tendency behind the sweating, and it does not address sweating caused by another condition.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning pregnancy, have a neuromuscular condition, take blood thinners or any regular medication, have had a reaction to an injectable before, or have a thyroid condition, diabetes or any recent unexplained symptoms.

What your first visit involves

The first question is whether the pattern fits primary focal sweating.

1. 1

   History

   When it started, which areas, whether it happens during sleep, family history and your medications.

2. 2

   Examination

   The affected skin, checked for irritation or infection.

3. 3

   Ruling out other causes

   Blood tests or a referral where something else may be driving it.

4. 4

   Discussion and plan

   Which step makes sense now, and what would come next.

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  The first visit is a conversation with the doctor about where and when the sweating happens, before anything is recommended.

What affects the cost

Pricing is set after assessment. It depends on:

• Which areas are being treated, and how many.
• The size of each area, since underarms, palms and the scalp differ considerably.
• Whether investigation or a referral is needed before anything is planned.
• How often treatment would need repeating, which varies between individuals.

Common questions