Botulinum Toxin for Sweating

Botulinum Toxin is a very specific natural poison that in nature causes Botulinism.

Advances in the pharmaceutical industry have allowed very pure Botulinum Toxin to be manufactured - and then minute doses to be accurately measured to be given for medical uses. These doses are large enough to have a local effect where injected, but are far too small to have any effect on the breathing or movement.

When a nerve meets the thing it has to communicate with, the junction between the two is called a "synapse". The synapse where the sympathetic nerves meet the sweat glands can be blocked by Botulinum toxin. As the sweat glands are in the skin itself, injection of a solution of Botulinum Toxin into the skin causes a blocking of the impulses from the sympathetic nervous system and so sweating should stop.

Axillary (Armpit) Hyperhidrosis

The most effective way of stopping Axillary hyperhidrosis is by injecting a dilute solution of Botulinum Toxin (BOTOX) into the skin of the axilla. Using a very fine needle to make the procedure almost painless, approximately 12 injections are made in each axilla. No anaesthetic is needed and the whole process takes 20 minutes.

The Botulinum Toxin binds to the nerves that control sweating in the skin, and reduces sweating in the area for 4 – 12 months. Clinical studies have shown that this treatment reduces the amount of sweating by 75 - 80% times. A first course usually lasts 4 – 9 months, with subsequent courses being more effective and lasting 6 – 12 months per time.

Both armpits are injected in the same session. The Botox takes a few days to work. Because there are no muscles in the armpit, there is no real risk of loss of muscle power, a possible problem with Botox elsewhere.

Does Botox hurt when injected?
Only minimally. Because the skin of the armpit is thin, Botox injections there are barely felt. The needles used are extremely fine, and they themselves are not felt. The Botox itself stings a little.

How long does Botox work?
This varies from person to person, but the effect of Botox will last from six to nine months, and will then need to be repeated. Subsequent injections often last longer.

Does Botox stop all the armpit sweating?
No, not all of it, usually about 80%. This four-fold decrease means that hyperhidrosis sufferers, after Botox, sweat far less than the average person.

Is Botox safe?
In the armpit, yes. There are no muscles there that it could affect. In other areas, for example the hands or face, it could temporarily weaken the muscles if injected into the wrong place.

Is Botox not expensive?
No, not when you consider the cost of frequent changes of clothing, deoderants etc. The cost of embarrassment and social phobia is also high.