Excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis as it is medically known is excessive sweat production by the body. Sweating is an important bodily function, however when there is severe sweating which interferes with a person’s day to day life, this is known as hyperhidrosis. The most common affected areas are the underarms, soles of the feet and palms of the hands.
It is possible to reduce the amount of sweat produced and control the condition. First and foremost there are several lifestyle changes that can help.
- Avoid excessively hot or spicy foods as this can be trigger for hyperhidrosis.
- Some people find that soaps can irritate the skin, if this is the case use a soap substitute to wash, such as Aqueous cream or other moisturisers.
- Use antiperspirants instead of deodorants. Deodorants simply mask smells whereas antiperspirants reduce the amount of sweat produced.
- Wear black and white clothes which don’t show up sweat marks easily compared to coloured clothes.
- Wear loose fitting clothing under the arms.
- Avoid man made fabrics such as nylon, polyester or Lycra, which do not allow the skin to “breathe” and may trigger hyperhidrosis. Choose fabrics like cotton or silk instead.
- “Dress shields” or “sweat shields” are available for purchase online. These can help protect clothing against sweat by absorbing excess amounts.
- Socks should be changed at least once, if not twice a day.
- An absorbent foot powder should be placed in shoes everyday.
- Different shoes should be worn on consecutive days so that they can dry out fully before being worn again.
- Sports shoes or boots should be avoided as they do not allow the feet “breathe”.
If the above methods have been tried and excessive sweating is still a problem, then there are other ways that sweat levels can be controlled. The first thing to try is a strong antiperspirant that contains aluminium chloride to block the sweat duct openings. These are available at a local pharmacy or via your General Practitioner.
If aluminium chloride has been tried and is deemed ineffective, then Botulinum toxin injections (Botox) should be considered. Botox injections are an effective treatment for reducing armpit sweating. This treatment blocks the nerves in the skin which control the sweat glands thus reducing the amount of sweat. The treatment is safe and effective and lasts for around six months.
To find out more about Botox injections for underarm sweating at Face Clinic London visit their excessive sweating page. To make an appointment book online, call 0207 851 66242 or email [email protected]
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