Excessive Sweating/Perspiration, Hyperhidrosis
What is hyperhidrosis?
It is classified as either primary or secondary hyperhidrosis. Primary hyperhidrosis is not due to any particular underlying reason, and can result in excessive sweating in the palms, feet, underarms, face and scalp. There is usually an associated family history. Sweating usually affects both sides, and is less at night than during the day. Secondary hyperhidrosis is a result of an underlying medical condition such as infection, endocrine disorders, metabolic disorders, neoplastic diseases, neurological conditions, spinal cord injuries, cardiovascular disorders, respiratory disorders, anxiety and stress. The treatment of secondary hyperhidrosis will require treatment of the underlying problem or cause.
The rates of primary hyperhidrosis are estimated at 3% of the population, the age group most affected is from 18 to 54 years.
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How can hyperhidrosis be treated?
Anti-perspirants are usually the first line of treatment for underarm and palm sweating, but are not as useful in other areas. Driclor, a brand of aluminium chloride, blocks sweat glands and eventually destroys them. It is usually applied at night and washed off in the morning. In the long term, it can be used less frequently as sweating decreases. Irritation is a common side effect, and may often require the use of hydrocortisone 1% to reduce this. Driclor is available over the counter.
Anti-wrinkle injections, normally used to help reduce the wrinkles on the face can also work to stop sweating. Anti-wrinkle injections have been widely used for the treatment of hyperhidrosis, especially in the underarms, palms and face. It can also be used in the feet, but is very painful to inject in this area. By stopping the nerve signal to the sweat glands in the area it is injected into. As there usually is multiple injections required, it is performed after the application of local anaesthetic cream to reduce any discomfort. The underarms are the most common area treated by anti-wrinkle injections. Usually 100 units are used for this area, and the cost of this treatment is $1320. The hands can also be treated, and often only the dominant hand is treated (to avoid a wet hand shake). The dosage is variable in the hands, but usually requires around 75-100 units per hand ($1085-$1320). The face can be treated for excessive sweating with anti-wrinkle injections. There is the possibility that it will affect the muscles of facial expression also, and this may lead to unwanted changes in the muscles. The dosage for the face will depend on the size of the area treated. Feet are very difficult to treat with, anti-wrinkle injections and can often be unresponsive to even larger doses. The main difficulty with the treatment of feet with anti-wrinkle injections is the sensitivity of this area to injections. This treatment is commonly performed at The Victorian Cosmetic Institute by our doctors.
Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy is usually the final step in improving hyperhidrosis. By surgically disrupting the nerves that cause sweating (the sympathetic nervous system), this procedure is able to reduce sweating in the upper limbs, feet, or underarms. This part of the nervous system is also responsible for other functions such as the size of the pupil, opening the eyelids, hence this surgery can also disrupt these functions. Furthermore, compensatory sweating may occur in the areas that have not been treated. This treatment is not performed at The Victorian Cosmetic Institute.
Why should I choose The Victorian Cosmetic Institute as my provider of hyperhidrosis treatment?
Making that first phone call can be a confronting task - many of our patients have preferred filling out our online enquiry form. We can then contact you with an understanding of the results you are hopeful of achieving and ensure the treatment is appropriate.
Otherwise, you can phone us directly on (03) 8850 0655 (Templestowe) or (03) 9707 0888 (Berwick).
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