Hyperhidrosis refers to excessive sweating, and is a problem experienced by 7.8 million individuals in the US, and 50% of those individuals experience underarm hyperhidrosis. This can be an embarrassing, or even debilitating, problem for individuals who experience this. Dermatologists treat patients with excess sweating every day in their office. The good news is that there are a variety of new options that can alleviate hyperhidrosis in affected individuals.
Traditional agents include over the counter antiperspirants as well as prescription strength aluminum chloride solutions, but use may be limited due to stinging and burning upon application, and lately these medications are not readily available at pharmacies. Oral medications are also available to help minimize sweat production, but may also cause dry eyes or dry mouth. Botox injections performed every six months may be an excellent option, but can be expensive and must be done regularly to maintain the effect. As recently as July 2018, a new topical medication, Qbrexza, was FDA approved for individuals ages 9 and up who suffer from excess underarm perspiration. This is a moist towelette that can be applied in a single swipe to each underarm and blocks release of sweat. This can be prescribed by your dermatologist, but requires appropriate counseling regarding potential side effects and appropriate usage.
What is miraDry?
A very exciting revolutionary procedure, miraDry, is an FDA approved device offered in our practice to permanently eliminate sweat and odor glands. miraDry is a noninvasive procedure in which a handheld device uses electromagnetic energy to permanently destroy the sweat and odor producing glands of the underarms.
Your underarms only contain about 2% of your 2 million sweat glands, and it is not harmful to eliminate those glands. You will continue to sweat normally everywhere else. The miraDry procedure is extremely safe, with minimal to no downtime. Most patients require a single one-hour treatment, but those with excessive sweating may require two treatments.
There are now a variety of options to treat this condition, so don’t sweat it!