I was reading an article in the New York Times the other day about a new treatment for sweating (hyperlink to article http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/08/fashion/sweat-and-tears-first-person.html?pagewanted=all). The patient in the article described what sounded like a very painful procedure called miraDry, which in her case didn’t seem to work. It’s in an electromagnetic energy which is supposed to destroy sweat glands. Granted the company recommended two treatments and she only had one, maybe if she had the second treatment it would have worked. She described that she was writhing in pain and felt like they were holding a blowtorch to her underarms. It made me think of all the other options for underarm sweating.
In my practice we start with prescription antiperspirants which are beneficial if used correctly. There’s also a machine that utilizes a technology called iontophoresis which is totally painless. It is not really understood how it works but it uses an electric current and ions to minimize sweating. Another more expensive option is Botox injections which last 6 to 7 months. Whatever option you choose, if you have excessive sweating no one needs to know. There are safe and effective treatments available.