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Excessive sweating treatment

Excessive sweating of the underarms, hands or face is a medical condition, and injections reduce it in most people for several months at a time. Injections into the affected skin reduce sweating for several months at a time.

Your practitioner
Underarm cleansed before hyperhidrosis treatment

What the procedure involves

Before treatment
• Consultation to determine suitability for treatment

 

During treatment
• Series of small injections placed just beneath the skin
• Armpits: 20–30 minutes
• Palms: 30–45 minutes
• Craniofacial: 20–30 minutes

The injections are a little uncomfortable but well tolerated by most patients. Ice can be used to effectively ease the discomfort if required.

 

Results
• Improvement usually begins within 2–7 days.
• Maximum effect at around 2 weeks.

 

What sweat-reducing injections can and can’t do

Injections are a good treatment for heavy sweating in one or two areas. They do not cure it, and the effect wears off.

It can

  • Reduce underarm sweating by half or more in about eight to nine out of ten people, starting within a week.
  • Treat the palms and face as well as the underarms, each with its own balance of benefit and side effects.
  • Last for several months, typically four to seven, before treatment is repeated.
  • Reduce clothing stains and the need to change clothes during the day.

It can’t

  • Cure hyperhidrosis. The injections block the nerve signal to the sweat glands for a few months, then wear off.
  • Treat sweating all over the body. They are for focal sweating in defined areas. Generalised sweating needs a medical review for a cause first.
  • Stop sweat appearing elsewhere. A small number of people notice more sweating on the back or trunk after underarm treatment.
  • Leave the hands untouched. About one in five people have weaker grip for two to five weeks after palm treatment, and the injections there are more uncomfortable.
  • Replace a diagnosis. Thyroid problems, some medicines and other causes should be ruled out, and milder options such as strong antiperspirants are usually tried first.

Your practitioner will tell you at your consultation which of these apply to you.

Our aesthetic practitioner

This treatment is planned and carried out by our aesthetic practitioner and dentist, Dr Katy Nassar.

Dr Katy Nassar

Dentist and aesthetic practitioner

GDC-registered dentistMSc Skin Ageing and Aesthetic Medicine

Risks, and how often they happen

Every treatment carries risk. Here they are in three groups, with how often they happen where the evidence allows. Your practitioner will go through them with you, and they are in your written consent.

Expected Almost everyone, and they settle

  • Stinging during the injections, worse on the palms, eased with ice or numbing cream.
  • Small raised bumps and redness for an hour or so.
  • Bruising at some injection points.
  • A delay before it works, with improvement from two to seven days and the full effect at about two weeks.

Uncommon Some patients, and some need further treatment

  • Weaker grip after palm treatment, noticeable when writing or opening jars, lasting two to five weeks.
    About 1 in 5palm treatment
  • Sweating elsewhere, on the trunk or back, after underarm treatment.
    Under 1 in 10underarm treatment
  • Headache or flu-like symptoms for a day or two.
    Under 1 in 10
  • Weakness of facial muscles or a drooping eyelid after treatment of the face or scalp, wearing off over weeks.
    Uncommonface treatment

Rare but serious

  • Infection at an injection site.
    Rare
  • Spread of the effect beyond the treated area, causing weakness, or swallowing or breathing difficulty. No serious case has been confirmed at the dose used for underarm sweating, but it carries a warning in every product’s safety information.
    Very rare
  • Allergic reaction, including a serious reaction.
    Very rare

For the long term

  • The effect lasts a median of about six and a half months in underarm trials; two to six months is typical and some people get a year.
  • Repeat treatment when sweating returns. If you stop, sweating goes back to its previous level; it does not get worse.
  • Other options exist if injections are not right for you, including prescription antiperspirants, iontophoresis, tablets and, for a few, surgery. Your GP or a dermatologist can advise.
Where these figures come from

Figures are drawn from product trial data and published studies, and your own risk may be higher or lower. More from the NHS on excessive sweating and from the British Association of Dermatologists’ hyperhidrosis leaflet.

Patient Support

Patients may find the following resources helpful.
• Hyperhidrosis UK: https://hyperhidrosisuk.org
• International Hyperhidrosis Society: https://www.sweathelp.org
• British Association of Dermatologists: https://www.bad.org.uk/patient-information-leaflets/
NICE Guidance
• https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/hyperhidrosis/
• https://www.nice.org.uk

Frequently asked questions about excessive sweating

How much does treatment for excessive sweating cost?
Sweat-reducing injections at Waterfront Private Hospital are £450 per session. A first consultation with Dr Katy Nassar is £50.
Do sweat-reducing injections work?
For most people, yes. They reduce underarm sweating by half or more in about eight to nine out of ten people, starting within a week. They do not cure excessive sweating, and the effect wears off.
How long does the treatment last?
The effect lasts several months at a time, then gradually wears off, so treatment is repeated when sweating returns.
Which areas can be treated?
The underarms, palms and face. Each area has its own balance of benefit and side effects, which your practitioner explains at consultation.
Does it hurt?
The injections sting a little, more on the palms. Ice or numbing cream makes them well tolerated by most people. Underarms take 20 to 30 minutes, palms 30 to 45 minutes.
What are the side effects?
Most side effects are mild and short-lived, such as soreness or bruising where the injections go in. The risks section on this page lists each one with how often it happens.
Is this the same as "Botox for sweating"?
Yes. "Botox for sweating" is the common name for injections of a prescription-only medicine that blocks the nerve signals to the sweat glands. Botox is one brand. Your practitioner chooses a licensed product at your consultation.