Don’t Have Sweat Stains in Your Holiday Pictures. Get a Hyperhidrosis Treatment
Nothing ruins a day quite like when you look at the underarms of your shirt and see sweat stains. It can be embarrassing and frustrating, especially when you don’t have another shirt to wear. Don’t be a victim of sweat stains this holiday season during your holiday pictures; get a hyperhidrosis treatment to help. The dermatologists at the Dermatology & Mohs Surgery Institute have the tips you need for keeping sweat stains at bay.
What to Know About Excessive Sweating
Why Do People Sweat so Much?
Excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis, is a disorder where the body produces an excess amount of sweat, typically in the armpits. It can occasionally affect the palms of the hands or soles of the feet. It is estimated that nearly eight million Americans have hyperhidrosis. It may begin at birth and continue throughout an individual’s life, but most often it begins during the teenage years. Excessive sweating can have no underlying cause or be caused by a medical condition.
Medical conditions that result in excessive sweating can include:
- Hyperthyroidism
- Leukemia
- Lymphoma
- Malaria
- Medication side effects
- Tuberculosis
For those who experience excessive sweating, it can be embarrassing and cause discomfort or anxiety. Fortunately, there are treatment options to help and provide relief.
How a Hyperhidrosis Treatment Can Help
If you notice that you sweat excessively, reaching out to your dermatologist is important for them to help diagnose the issue. They will test for underlying medical conditions and ask about your patterns of sweating. They will also perform a thermoregulatory sweat test. This involves putting a powder on the skin. It will change colors if excessive sweating occurs. From this point, the dermatologist can recommend hyperhidrosis treatment options such as iontophoresis, Botox, anticholinergic drugs, or endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS). For more mild cases of hyperhidrosis, there are prescription medications that can be used.
An iontophoresis treatment involves submerging the hands and feet into a bowl of water while a painless electric current passes through. It is best suited for excessive sweating of the hands and feet. If you notice results, treatments will need to continue to maintain improvement. Another treatment option is Botox. Botox is not just used for smoothing fine lines and wrinkles but can aid in excessive sweating too. The injections block the nerves that trigger the sweat glands, so you do not sweat as much. Anticholinergic drugs are medications used to stop the transmission of nerve impulses, helping to reduce the amount you sweat. Lastly, in severe cases of hyperhidrosis, ETS is used. An incision will be made where the excessive sweating occurs, and the nerves that carry messages to the sweat glands are cut. ETS is only used when no other treatments have worked. A dermatologist can assist with each of these options to see which works best for you and may offer you the best results.
We want you to enjoy the holidays without sweat stains this year. If you are in Bloomington, Illinois or the surrounding areas, complete this form to learn more about the benefits of a hyperhidrosis treatment. The dermatologists at the Dermatology & Mohs Surgery Institute are happy to help and save you from sweat stains this upcoming holiday season.