Treatment for Excessive Sweating

Treatment for Excessive Sweating
Excessive sweating is a common problem amongst  both male and female and is technically termed as hyperhidrosis. The sweating can be on various parts of the body but tends to be common on the fair and hairline area, groin and primarily the underarms. Sweating is a completely natural body function that occurs to regulate body temperature but when it is  excessive it is termed as hyperhidrosis.

Cause of Excessive Sweating
Hyperhidrosis can be classified dependent on the time of onset and can be either congenital or acquired. Focal hyperhidrosis is found to commence during adolescence or in some cases before and seems to be an inherited genetic trait. Secondary hyperhidrosis, which can start at any point in life. This can be due to a disorder of the thyroid or pituitary glands, diabetes, tumours, menopause or certain drugs.


Surgical Options

Laser Sweat Ablation – provides a long term permanent improvement
Laser sweat ablation works by destroying and removing the eccrine glands in the affected area and is generally used to treat the underarms. It provides a permanent solution to hyperhidrosis.

The procedure can be carried out in a normal clinic by a doctor or cosmetic surgeon.In order to determine the areas to be treated a sweat test is first carried out which determines the areas of the underarms that require the most treatment. These areas are then marked before the patient is injected with a local anaesthetic to numb the area for treatment. Small incisions, approximately 2 to 3 millimetres in length are created in the underarms and the skin is separated from the underlying layer of fat. An infrared laser fibre is then inserted  into the incisions and discharged, destroying the eccrine glands that are present in the underside area of the skin.

Once the glands are destroyed, the doctor then removes the dead tissue by use of a suction before the underarm skin is arranged back in place. The incisions are not large enough to require stitches so a compression bandage is applied to the area to ensure correct healing. The entire procedure usually takes 1-2 hours.

Recovery from Laser Sweat Ablation
Pain, bruising and numbness may occur after laser sweat ablation but this is temporary. There is also a risk of loss of pigmentation in the area. The doctor often prescribes antibiotics to prevent any infection from occurring.

Vaser Sweat Ablation – provides a long term permanent improvement
Vaser Sweat Ablation is a newer treatment and performed whilst the patient is under a light sedation. It provides a permanent solution to hyperhidrosis utilising ultrasound technology.
The process for laser sweat ablation is a very simple one with the doctor first injecting a tumescent fluid into the underarm area of the patient: this will allow the ultrasonic waves to pass through the liquid more readily that through a solid material. The ultrasonic waves are set at a specific frequency to kill the sweat gladdens without damage to the surrounding tissue in the area. The dead tissue is suctioned out of the area with one stitch only required to close the area. The procedure takes around 30 minutes and the sweat is moderated with minimal downtime to the patient.

As with Laser Sweat Ablation there may be some swelling and bruising to the area which will dissipate within 5-7 days. Antibiotics may be prescribed by the doctor to aid with wound healing


Non-Surgical Options

Anti Sweating Injections
Anti-wrinkle injections, normally utilised to help reduce facial wrinkles can also be used to stop sweating. Anti-wrinkle injections are commonly used  for the treatment of hyperhidrosis, specifically in the underarms, face and scalp areas. It can also be used in the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, but is painful to inject in this area and will require some form of sedation . The underarms and scalp area can be treated using a local anaesthetic cream.
The Anti-wrinkle injections work by blocking the nerve signal to the sweat glands in the area it is injected into. Commonly 100 units  are used for the underarm area.

After application of anaesthetic cream, a starch-iodine test is usually performed. This involves putting iodine on the area to be treated and allowing the patient to sweat for short period of time. Starch is then placed on the area and the sweaty areas highlight in black and identified for treatment with the injections

The anti wrinkle injection is then injected superficially into the area with numerous small injections. The process takes around 30-60 minutes depending upon the size of the area requiring treatment. The effects take around 3-10 days to be noticed with full effects within 2 weeks. Ant wrinkle injections last for between 8 weeks to 4 months depending upon the client and then must be repeated.
There is usually no down time with anti-wrinkle injections and patients can return to normal life immediately following treatment.

More information is available Skin dermatologist melbourne.




Profiles link:
Dr. Pallavi Sharma - Cosmetic Doctor Melbourne Blog.
Dr. Pallavi Sharma - Cosmetic Doctor Melbourne Profile.
Dr. Pallavi Sharma - Cosmetic Doctor Melbourne twitter.
Dr. Pallavi Sharma - Cosmetic Doctor Melbourne Google Page.
Dr. Pallavi Sharma - Cosmetic Doctor Melbourne Facebook Page.
Address: 150A Chapel Street, Windsor 3181, Victoria, Melbourne
Website: http://www.skinclubaustralia.com.au
Phone: 1300 85 44 82