Botox is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles to prevent wrinkles and fine lines. But did you know that Botox® injections are also used to treat heavy sweating besides cosmetic procedures? The world of medicine has found alternative uses for Botox®, and it is used to treat certain neuromuscular conditions, which include migraines, spasms of the muscles, and hyperhidrosis. This article talks about how the procedure helps curtail excess sweating or hyperhidrosis effectively.

What is Hyperhidrosis?
Hyperhidrosis is a medical term that refers to excessive sweating without any particular cause. It entails sweating in situations that are not hot or stressful. People who experience hyperhidrosis often get drenched due to sweat, and any kind of antiperspirants may not be of great help in such cases.

How and When Does a Botox® Injection Work?

Botox® injections work when the regular antiperspirants no longer work for the person. This is an FDA- approved treatment methodology for those who sweat profusely from their armpits. It is also largely used to reduce sweating from other areas such as the hands, feet, and face.

Botox® injections work by successfully blocking the nerves that are responsible for activating the sweat glands. When the body temperature increases, the nervous system begins to activate the sweat glands by releasing sweat to maintain and sustain the temperature in the body. For people with excessive sweating, the nerves are overactive and signal for the sweat glands to release sweat more than what is necessary or what is needed.

When a person is administered a Botox® injection onto the affected area, the overactive nerves become paralyzed, and the nerves can no longer send the signal to sweat glands, thereby resulting in no sweating. However, it is important to note that Botox® only prevents sweating in the area where the injection is administered.

What is it Like to Get Botox® Injections?
Ensure to get the injection from an experienced practitioner. While the injections do not take long to be administered, it could lead to complications if done by an inexperienced practitioner. The practitioner injects the medication right below the skin’s surface that needs to be treated using a needle. This injection is usually done in a grid format to form a grid pattern on the area of concern. Quite immediately after the injection, the doctor would recommend a numbing agent to ease the pain or, in most cases, to prevent it.

Does It Impair Daily Life?
The person can return to their routine right after their injection. Unless a spot is missed, a follow-up for a further course of injections is also not required. However, in most cases, the doctors would want the patient to consult once post-procedure to ensure if the treatment has worked.

What Preparations are Required?
Botox® for hyperhidrosis is a pretty straightforward procedure that needs very minimal preparation like:

1.Avoid Shaving
Do not shave the area for at least 2-3 days before the appointment. Example: If it is armpits that you are focusing on getting treated, ensure not to shave this area for a good 2-3 days.

2. Stop blood thinners
If the person is taking blood thinners (like aspirin), ensure to stop taking them for 1-2 days before the appointment so that bruises are prevented.

3. Note the list of medications
The person should also ensure to disclose the list of medications taken by them so that the practitioners can guide them accordingly.