Hyperhidrosis Treatment Overview
If you suffer from excessive sweating, you may feel like you’ve tried everything. You may have lost hope. Even if you feel this way, please take some time to read through our information about all the treatments currently available for treating hyperhidrosis. We think you'll leave feeling optimistic again. Please understand that we do not intend to replace the advice of a medical professional, but rather to provide information to support your quest for excessive sweating relief.
In addition to medical treatments, there are many high-tech products on the market to help you manage excessive sweating symptoms and the day-to-day hassles that excessive sweating causes. Many of the best products in this arena are featured in our Fan Faves section where we've got great prices on both new sweat-busting products as well as reliable products we've loved for years. And by shopping here, you help support the companies that support our work, too.
As for medical treatments, here's a brief overview (click through to specific treatment pages for more details):
Treatments such as antiperspirants and iontophoresis have been improved and we now know how to make them more effective.
More recent treatments, like miraDry, Botox injections, and lasers have started giving relief to those who never thought they’d find it. (A webinar about miraDry for underarms is available.)
Newer additions are:
- Sofdra™ for underarms, a topical anticholinergic gel applied once per day at bedtime using a special applicator
- Qbrexza® for underarms, a topical anticholinergic medication self-applied at home daily using a medicated wipe (or "cloth"), and
- Brella™, a SweatControl Patch™ applied for 3 minutes in a healthcare provider's office to treat axillary (underarm) excessive sweating (effects last about 2-4 months).
Additionally, healthcare providers and their patients are experimenting with combinations of treatments and getting good results. This is especially true with oral medications. Due to side effects, oral medications are not always a practical, long-term, single solution. Their better use may be, instead, in combination with other treatments, and new formulations can make them easier to take for more people. Watch our expert-led "Ask Me Anything" webinar about oral medications to treat hyperhidrosis here.
Underarm surgeries, such as liposuction, for excessive underarm sweating are being refined, but less invasive treatments should still be considered first.
ETS surgery, although heavily advertised, is reserved for only certain severe cases of palmar hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating of the palms) that have not responded to any other treatment options or to combinations of treatments. Before considering ETS treatment, healthcare providers and their patients must fully consider and discuss the real risks of permanent damage and severe side effects including compensatory sweating. When ETS is used to treat focal hyperhidrosis areas besides the palms, there appears to be reduced benefit and greater risk.
Everyone’s experience with this condition is different. So please be patient, explore all your options, explore combinations of options, adjust techniques, and work with your clinician to find the best treatments for your individual situation. Keep in mind, also, that research is still being conducted and new treatments, and new ways of using the current treatments, are being worked on. Subscribe to our News Blog, and you’ll be among the first to know about the latest developments.