Have you been embarrassed by having sweat showing through your shirt and blouse on a hot Summer day. It is estimated one in five persons is affected by excessive sweating. The affected areas are the armpits, hands, feet as well as forehead area of the face. An even more devastating condition is called bromohidrosis, where a musky and rancid body odor is released from certain body areas, such as the armpit, breast, the perineum and genital area.
There are two types of hyperhidrosis: focal and diffuse. Focal or localized hyperhidrosis occurs in the hand, feet, armpits, forehead and sometimes in the perianal area.

The function of sweat glands is for thermoregulation. The production and evaporation of the sweat carries off heat and allows the person to cool down. Millions of sweat glands are distributed all over the body. Sweat production increases significantly during hot weather, spicy food, exercise, stress, fear etc.. However, in people with hyperhidrosis, the sweat production becomes more excessive than normal, sometime even in cool surrounding temperature. There might be increase in the number as well as the function of the sweat gland in hyperhodrosis sufferers.

Hyperhidrosis can be a major impediment for many as it can become a source of social embarrassment. Many people feel self-conscious about shaking hands or hugging, and may avoid physical activity because it makes them sweat. Feelings of embarrassment and humiliation are common. The excessive sweating may also interfere with a person’s ability to do their job as well as their social life.

The ideal method of treating this condition should have the following characteristics: low cost, effective, long-lasting, safe, painless and quick. It is also ideal if it takes only 1-2 sessions to get the desirable result.
There is no real effective way to treat diffuse hyperhidrosis. I would not recommend using oral agent to treat diffuse hyperhidrosis because of side-effects. However, many methods have been proposed to treat focal hyperhidrosis. For mild cases, we can use topical agents such as aluminum chloride-based products. For more severe cases, botulinum toxin (such as , Botox) has been used with great success to reduce sweating of the hands, feet and armpits . The Botox procedure can be quite uncomfortable for some and the cost can be high for those who do not have third-party coverage.

Iontophoresis with glycopyrrolate solution can be used for hand and feet sweating, but is not useful for the armpits. The cost of acquisition for a unit is high and the cost of the accessories and solution can add up quickly with time. Also this method requires daily repetition and it is not a very portable method when one has to travel.
Surgical methods such as liposuction and sweat gland surgery can be done. However, the service is expensive and is not widely available in many cities.

Laser, mircrowave, and ultrasound technology can be used in treating focal hyperhidrosis. These technology has been used exclusively for the armpit area. The cost varies with the different devices that are used. Recently, radiofrequency has also been used to treat this condition.
At Reviva Laser Skin Clinic, which serves Vancouver, Richmond, and Burnaby, we can treat focal hyperhidrosis of the armpit other than Botox. It is a better and more comfortable solution than multiple injections.