How to Handle Hyperhidrosis in the Fall
Sweating is a natural function of a healthy human body. It helps regulate body temperature, maintain homeostasis, support optimal functioning, and rid the body of toxins. But if you’re sweating excessively, especially in areas that show on your clothing, it might be time to consider your treatment options. Here’s how you can stop this concern from interfering with your life.
What to Know About Handling Hyperhidrosis
What Is Hyperhidrosis?
Excessive sweating is known medically as axillary hyperhidrosis, and it affects over 37 million people in the U.S. alone. Whereas normal, healthy instances of sweating include perspiration in warmer temperatures, during physical exertion, or even while eating spicy foods, hyperhidrosis happens regardless of and unrelated to the activity or environment at hand. And during the fall, this can translate to stained shirts, sweaters, and coats.
Usually, these unusual or high levels of perspiration occur under the arms. This means that hyperhidrosis sufferers often have visible sweat stains on their clothing, which can be embarrassing and even leave stubborn stains. It can also cause troublesome body odor when the sweat mixes with bacteria on the skin. People who sweat excessively may find themselves using antiperspirant frequently, which can be tiresome, inconvenient, and costly in the long run.
What Is MiraDry?
The days of changing clothing frequently and running through antiperspirants constantly are over. With advances in technology, there is now a non-surgical and FDA-approved cosmetic treatment designed to fix hyperhidrosis for good. The miraDry procedure not only eliminates excessive sweating right away but lasts for a lifetime.
MiraDry targets the actual sweat glands responsible for problematic, excessive, and foul-smelling sweat. These specific glands are called apocrine glands, and using an electromagnetic energy, MiraDry deactivates them. This means that those glands no longer produce any sweat. For most people, full results are seen in one treatment, but other patients may need more than one treatment to fully solve their hyperhidrosis issue.
Even better, the procedure is painless and requires little to no downtime. Some people do experience slight tenderness, swelling, or redness following the treatment, but these minimal side effects typically disappear in a few days to weeks after the procedure. MiraDry only works on the 2% of the sweat glands found on the underarms. Therefore, the rest of the body will continue to perspire as is healthy and necessary.
Other Options for Hyperhidrosis
If you or your doctor decide that MiraDry isn’t the best treatment option for you, there are other routes you can take. Botox is sometimes used to target excessive sweating. Just as the active ingredient, botulinum toxin, blocks the nerve signals responsible for muscle contraction and wrinkles, it can block the nerves responsible for sweating. However, this is temporary, so treatments will be needed periodically.
There are also minimally invasive surgical procedures that can help treat hyperhidrosis. It’s important to work with a knowledgeable specialist who can evaluate your specific needs and concerns and make the appropriate treatment recommendation.
Contact Vanguard Dermatology
If you’re concerned about your excessive sweating, don’t suffer any longer. Make an appointment with a board-certified specialist in the greater New York City area by contacting Vanguard Dermatology today.