Underarm Sweating Blog

Summer is coming, and for most people it is the season of fun in the sun and much needed vacations. But for some of us, hot weather can lead to an embarrassing situation with excessive perspiration. Although sweating serves an important physiologic function in temperature regulation and removal of toxins, when it is in excess it can create a less than desirable outcome.

Just as with most treatments, Dr. Shah advocates the use of conservative measures before attempting stronger formulations or therapies. Start with these more mild products in the beginning, and then work up to those that are more assertive.

The first step in alleviating the problem is to use a good antiperspirant/deodorant. While a deodorant is used to mask the smell, an antiperspirant will actually reduce the amount of sweat produced. Products which contain aluminum chloride are the ones which are most effective. These products work by blocking sweat glands (the aluminium chloride reacts with sweat to plug up the sweat duct).

If excessive sweating continues, a stronger over the counter product such as Certain-Dri or Xerac may be more effective. These products can take up to a month to work.

If the problem continues after this, a presciption of aluminum chloride hexahydrate (such as Drysol) can be effective and takes about a week to begin its onset. The downside of many of these products is that they can produce irritation, which may ultimately just be substituting one problem for another.

Finally, when all of these modalities are still not producing results, Botox can be an effective treatment option. Botox stays local and has been proven to be more effective than prescription antiperspirants in treating hyperhidrosis. Benefits of botox treatment include only twice a year treatment, less irritation than topical modalities, and little to no maintenance. The main drawback of botox is that since it requires a large amount of units for effectiveness, the price can be an issue for some patients.

Certain-Dri and Xerac, over the counter products, can take up to a month to work.

Drysol, a presciption of aluminum chloride hexahydrate, can take about a week to begin its onset.

Botox, treatment is twice yearly, usually requires a large amount of units for effectiveness.