Botox to stop sweating?

Botox to stop sweating?

Severe underarm sweating is a medical condition known as severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis, which involves overactive sweat glands. Sweat is your body's temperature regulator. In severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis, sweating significantly exceeds the body's normal requirements for cooling. This embarassing condition often effects young woman - like 17-year old Amanda of Macomb County, who d espite a surplus of remedies (including prescription-strength anti-perspirant) was unable to get adequate relief and continued to grow self-conscious.

Before visiting me, Dr. Mark Berkowitz the Medical Director of Accents Cosmetic Surgery and Medical Spa, Amanda had exhausted both the Internet and medical community looking for a solution. "I wanted to find a safe option and didn't want to worry about being embarrassed by something like wet spots on my clothing. It's hard enough with all the normal worries teenagers have," she explains.

Botox was the solution for Amanda. This extremely diluted and safe variation of the botulinum tonxin blocks the chemical signals from nerves that stimulate the sweat glands. Botox is able to stop sever seating with just a single treatment for about 6 months! And, Amanda isn't my only satisfied patient - we have patients from as far away as Kalamazoo and Mt. Pleasant that visit twice each year and no longer worry about excess perspiration.

Clinical studies show:

• Patients treated with Botox are far more likely to achieve an effective response than those not treated. 57 out of 104 Botox treated patients achieved an effective response – compared to only 6 out of 108 treated without Botox - that's 55% vs. only 6%.
  
• Patients treated with Botox are far more likely to achieve a great reduction in sweating compared to the number of patients who benefit from other agents. 84 out of 104 Botox treated patients (81%) achieved a greater than 50% reduction in sweating – compared to only 44 out of 108 treated with other agents (41%).

Within just a few weeks of a single, quick, in-office Botox treatment, patients are likely to notice a significant reduction in underarm sweating. The effects of Botox will gradually wear off. It is not a cure – but excess sweating is likely to be quashed for about 6 months before re-treatment may be needed. Botox for excess underarm perspiration is often a covered insurance benefit – and, Allergan (the manufacturer of Botox) does offer assistance to those without insurance or are able to demonstrate financial need. My insurance liaison's available to verify benefits.