Hyperhidrosis is defined as excessive and uncontrollable sweating in a particular body area.
Most of the time, hyperhidrosis is caused by an overactive nerve supply to the sweat glands that result in its overstimulation which leads to extra and at times, excessive sweat production.
Excessive sweating can be made worse by:
Heat / hot environment
Anxiety and stressful situations
In the sweltering and humid heat of Singapore, Hyperhidrosis can unfortunately lead to a negative impact on the quality of life for those affected.
2 commonly treated areas are sweaty underams and sweaty palms.
Hyperhidrosis of the underarms (excessive underarm sweating) may cause staining of the clothes (a.k.a the pits stain) and body odour which may lead to socially embarrassing situations.
Hyperhidrosis of the hands (sweaty palms) may also negatively impact self-confidence when one is needed to shake hands or hold hands with others during social interactions.
The stress of psychological embarrassment and social stigma is usually the primary driving force behind individuals seeking treatment for excessive sweating.
Various treatment options exist for effectively treating hyperhidrosis.
The least invasive treatment approach would be applying topical antiperspirants such as aluminum chloride solution which reduces sweat production by blocking the opening of the sweat ducts.
However, one side effect of topical antiperspirants is that patients may experience skin irritation (dermatitis) after prolonged application.
Surgery can help address the overactive nerve supply to the sweat glands which cause hyperhidrosis. However, since it is invasive, it is limited as the last resort. It is associated with other potential side effects such as neighboring nerve injury.
Dr Edwin prefers to use Botox injections to treat Hyperhidrosis as it is minimally invasive with little to no downtime, and is both safe and effective.
Sweat glands produce sweat after being activated by a chemical that transmit signals to the nerves called acetylcholine.
Botox injections stop the release of acetylcholine from the overactive nerves supplying the sweat glands.
No signals = No sweat gland activation = No sweat production
Furthermore, Botox has been well studied in the treatment of hyperhidrosis and is reported to be both safe and more effective than topical anti perspirants.
At the clinic, numbing cream will first be applied to the entire treatment area for around 30 minutes. The numbing cream will help reduce discomfort as much as possible.
Next, Dr Edwin will mark out the injection points to evenly cover the underarm. For example, each underarm may require 20 to 25 injection points to adequately target all the sweat glands.
Each injection point will contain 2 units of Botox.
The injections are administered using a tiny needle which feel like a small prick / ant bite. After injection, small mosquito bite like bumps containing the botox will be present throughout the treatment site.
These bumps will subside after 4 to 6 hours.
Patients are advised not to massage the botox bumps and to avoid cosmetics / makeup to the area on the day of the treatment.
Bruises and swelling are rare and can be improved with the application of the intensive recovery cream.
Botox for hyperhidrosis is a safe treatment and harmful effects on the nerves and muscles are extremely rare and unlikely.
There will be small botox containing bumps over the treatment site which will subside after a few hours.
Patients can resume their normal daily activities straight away after treatment.
On average, results may last between 4 to 6 months and patients are recommended to repeat treatments every 4 to 6 months for optimum results.
Our clinic charges between $11.50 to $15 per unit of Botox depending on the type of Botox package purchased.
Botox is a popular cosmetic treatment performed by doctors to improve the appearance of facial wrinkles and to treat certain muscular conditions like jaw grinding or oversized calf muscles.
Botox can improve the wrinkles commonly found in these areas:
Frown lines between the eyebrows
Horizontal forehead creases
Crow’s feet (wrinkles around the eyes)
For a comprehensive list, please refer here.
Botox can also reduce the muscle bulk size, hence, it is commonly used for
Jaw slimming for V shaped face
Calf slimming for slender looking legs
Before deciding on the botox dosage, your doctor should discuss with you if you prefer a “natural” or more “frozen” appearance. Your doctor will also assess the severity and extent of the wrinkles before making a recommendation.
The “natural” look involves injecting a lower dose of botox with the intention to relax around 50% of the muscle movement. This method will improve the appearance of wrinkles and yet still retain some muscle movement. Since the muscles of facial expression are still active, you will have natural looking botox results.
The “frozen” look will require higher doses of botox to relax around 80-90% of the muscle movement. Since muscle movement is greatly reduced, there will be minimal wrinkles after treatment. However, because the face is less expressive, some may find that their appearance is less natural looking.
Botox is measured in units. Just like how body weight is measured in kilograms, Botox is counted in units.
Usually, each injection point may contain between 1 to 4 units of Botox.
Depending on the dosage, on average, Botox can last between 3 to 4 months.
Higher doses such as those given for a “frozen” appearance may last up to 6 months.
The longevity of botox also varies between the different brands of Botox.
10 to 20 units of Botox may be required to treat horizontal forehead wrinkles.
Depending on the size of the forehead and severity of wrinkles, between 5 to 10 injection points may be required, with each point containing between 1 to 2 units of Botox.
6 to 20 units of Botox may be required to treat the frown lines aka furrows or creases that exist between your eyebrows.
3 to 5 injection points are typically required for frown line botox.
6 to 12 units of Botox is recommended per eye for the treatment of wrinkles around the eyes. In total, 12 to 24 units for both eyes.
3 to 6 injection points around each eye are typically required for crow’s feet botox.
20 to 30 units of botox is recommended per jaw for jaw slimming botox. In total, 40 to 60 units of botox for both jaws.
3 to 4 injection points per jaw are typically required for jaw slimming botox.
4 to 8 units of botox are needed to relax the mentalis muscle to improvement the appearance of the cobblestone chin.
2 injection points are typically required for mentalis botox.
Consult with Dr Edwin today and he will customize a botox treatment plan for you!
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