Is too much sweating a problem you want to get rid of? The good news is, you’ve got a lot of options when it comes to choosing the best excessive sweating treatment.
But having all these choices presented to you can confuse you.
Which one should you try first?
Which is the most effective?
Which works best for your situation?
In general, you should start with the mildest excessive sweating treatment and progress from there. After all, some remedies are too drastic to try right away.
We’ve come up with a handy guide to give you an idea of how to start treating your hyperhidrosis—beginning from the easiest down to the most difficult and invasive.
Excessive Sweating Treatment Step 1: Antiperspirants
Applying antiperspirants is considered the easiest way to tackle excessive sweating. You just need to apply it on your sweaty skin every day to block your sweat glands.
Antiperspirants contain aluminum salts, which prevent sweat glands from producing sweat. However, it is a temporary solution, so you must apply it every night before you go to bed.
The best thing about this excessive sweating treatment is that you can find it anywhere. Just visit your local drugstore, supermarket, or grocery to get one.
Though you don’t need a prescription for it, you may ask your doctor for one if you need to get a stronger antiperspirant.
You may also get antiperspirants for your hands, feet, and head, although the most popular ones are for your underarms. Many of these antiperspirants are combined with deodorant to help mask your body odor.
Excessive Sweating Treatment Step 2: Lifestyle Changes
You may also combine the use of antiperspirants with some lifestyle changes. Though these changes won’t exactly stop excessive sweating, they can prevent the body odor that often comes along with it.
Avoid using heavy clothes that trap sweat. Instead of those, wear clothes made of light and breathable fabrics like cotton and silk.
Got sweaty feet? Wear socks that wick moisture away, like those made of polypro and merino wool.
Since you sweat excessively, always bring an extra shirt with you. It comes in handy when you’re exercising or doing outdoor activities.
Good hygiene can also keep body odor at bay. Make sure to use antibacterial soap and dry yourself afterward.
The food you eat can also contribute to excessive sweating. Avoid eating hot and spicy foods because they’ll make you sweat more. Hot drinks and alcohol have the same effect.
Excessive Sweating Treatment Step 3: Home Remedies
There are lots of home remedies that you can try as an excessive sweating treatment.
One of the most popular is apple cider vinegar, which has astringent properties to help control sweat. Simply soak a cotton ball and apply it to your sweaty areas overnight. Rinse it in the morning.
Other home remedies that you can try include baking soda with cornstarch, tea, witch hazel, lemon, and coconut oil.
Excessive Sweating Treatment Step 4: Medications
If you’ve made it this far, then it means that you must go to your doctor and ask for prescription drugs to help you combat hyperhidrosis.
Anticholinergic drugs are the most commonly prescribed oral medications for excessive sweating. They target neurotransmitters that play a part in sweat formation, thus blocking sweat production and keeping your skin dry.
But since these drugs are taken orally, their effects are systemic. It reduces sweat all over your body, which can put you at risk for overheating since your body has no way of cooling itself.
You may also experience other side effects like blurred vision, dry eyes, and drowsiness. Some even get headaches and heart palpitations.
Not keen on taking oral meds? You can try topical meds instead.
One of the newest hyperhidrosis drugs is Qbrexza. It’s a topical cloth pad containing 2.4% glycopyrronium, which is a type of anticholinergic that blocks sweat production.
One cloth pad is enough to treat both armpits once a day.
However, take note that it also has its fair share of side effects, like dry mouth, sore throat, and skin redness.
Excessive Sweating Treatment Step 5: Medical Procedures
If none of the above worked for you, then it’s time to take more serious measures.
Check out the following procedures that can stop excessive sweating in its tracks.
Botox
Aside from wrinkles, Botox injections are effective in controlling excessive sweating of the underarms.
It works by preventing the release of chemicals that signal your sweat glands to activate. But take note that it’s only a temporary solution because you need to get touch-ups every 4-6 months.
Iontophoresis
If your hands and feet sweat a lot, then you may try getting iontophoresis.
In this procedure, you sit with your hands and feet dipped in a tray of water for 20 to 30 minutes. Electrical current travels through the water during the duration of the treatment.
At first, you have to do a few sessions each week to stop sweating. After some time, you might only need to do it twice a month for maintenance. Some people even get iontophoresis machines at home.
Despite being a safe treatment with an 85% success rate, iontophoresis shouldn’t be used for pregnant women. Those with pacemakers and metal implants should also avoid it.
miraDry
If you want to get rid of excessive underarm sweating permanently, then you should try getting a miraDry treatment.
It delivers microwave energy to your sweat glands using a handheld device. As a result, the sweat, odor, and hair glands in your armpits are gone forever.
For most people, one miraDry session is enough to experience lasting effects. But it only works for the armpits because they have underlying fat to protect themselves, unlike your hands and feet.
Surgery
Exhausted all remedies to no avail? That’s the only time that you should consider getting endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy or ETS as an excessive sweating treatment.
In this surgery, your surgeon makes very small incisions to cut the nerve connected to the sweat glands in your underarms.
Though the surgery has a high success rate, its invasiveness makes it the last option for treating hyperhidrosis. You can’t reverse it.
It also has a side effect known as compensatory sweating, wherein another part of your body starts sweating to compensate for your lack of underarm sweat.
You don’t have to suffer from excessive sweating all your life. If you’re interested in the minimally invasive yet effective miraDry treatment, schedule a Free Consultation with our miraDry-certified plastic surgeon here in Face+Body Cosmetic Surgery now. We’ll answer any questions that you may have.
