Many people who are embarrassed and handicapped because of excessive sweating are now opting for a Botox treatment, according to a plastic surgeon.
The procedure is done to reduce sweating in the palms, feet and in the armpits, areas where excessive sweating occurs in some people.
The condition is called hyperhidrosis, wherein the body’s cooling system becomes very active and produces more than four or five times the amount of sweat needed. About 3 per cent of the world’s population suffers from excessive sweating. Excessive sweating means that you sweat far more than your body needs to, such as when sitting at the desk without any exertion.
“The procedure reduces 80 to 90 per cent of excessive sweating,” says Dr Luiz Toldeo, consultant plastic surgeon at the Medical Arts Clinic, Dubai. The treatment only stops sweating at the area injected.
About 200 units of Botox, he says, are injected into the area which sweats excessively and the treatment lasts for 4 to 8 months. (Botox comes in vials of 100 units).
Botox injections work where topical medicines do not, by temporarily blocking the chemical signals from the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands. Though a number of injections (it depends on the area and the patient’s size) are given just under the skin, there is no pain as it is done with local anaesthesia and is very safe, acoroding to Dr Toledo.
Botox, a toxin, is produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum, and it helps block signals from the nerves to the muscles, which when injected cannot contract. Botox is most often used to smoothen creases on the forehead, crow’s feet (lines around the eye), and frown lines.
The procedure, however, does not lead to the sweat getting backed up as other areas of the body are free to offload it.
