Treatment for Excessive Sweating

A long-term clinical trial of the Botox treatment of excessive underarm sweating, a medical disorder called axillary hyperhidrosis, showed that it is a safe and effective treatment to lessen underarm sweat. Over a million people in the US alone suffer from this disorder, which leads to problems socializing. Those with the disorder can sweat up to 4 times the amount required to keep their body temperature level.

Botox successfully treats this disorder by blocking the body’s manufacture of a chemical that switches on the sweat glands. The clinician injects Botox into each armpit. The more doses they inject, the longer the treatment lasts. In 2004, the FDA gave their approval for the Botox treatment of tougher cases of axillary hyperhidrosis that prescription antiperspirants are unable to treat.

Relief that Lasts

In a three-year-long clinical trial, 193 people were given Botox for hyperhidrosis. 4 weeks after the first treatment, 82% of participants had up to a 75% drop in sweat production.

4 weeks after the second and third treatments, 79% had the same experience.

94% of participants needed 4 or fewer injections to keep their sweating in check over the course of two years.

Botox May Ease Social Stigma of Sweat

This clinical trial also learned that Botox treatment improved the quality of the participants’ lives:

Before their Botox injections, 66% to 72% of participants reported being somewhat or very dissatisfied with their capability in completing their everyday work tasks. After Botox, that number dropped to 9% to 20%.

Participants who said they had been “emotionally damaged” by their hyperhidrosis dropped from the pre-injection numbers of 76% to 83% to the post-injection ones: 32% to 42%.

They also felt far less limited when it comes to socializing. Before Botox, 17% to 33% reported they were somewhat or very satisfied with their capability in interactions outside of work. After Botox, the numbers leapt to 78% to 88%.