How to Stop Excessive Sweating (Hyperhidrosis) with miraDry
If you deal with sweaty armpits and sweat-stained clothes, you’ve probably felt the social anxiety and embarrassment to raise your arms in public. And you’re not alone.
Although sweating is a normal and healthy bodily function, it can be frustrating when it’s excessive and, for some, occurs at random times. Luckily, Columbus Aesthetic & Plastic Surgery (CAPS) has a treatment that will get rid of this burden for once and for all!
What is excessive sweating?
Hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating for no apparent reason, most commonly occurs in the underarms. In general, our bodies sweat as a form of temperature control to help us cool down. A person who suffers from hyperhidrosis has hyperactive sweat glands that overreact and produce unnecessary, excessive amounts of sweat.
Hyperhidrosis causes individuals to sweat heavily in places and situations where others are not. This can leave someone feeling less confident and could deter them from participating in everyday activities.
Why does hyperhidrosis occur and who does it affect?
There are two types of hyperhidrosis: primary hyperhidrosis and secondary hyperhidrosis.
Primary hyperhidrosis, also known as focal hyperhidrosis, is a chronic skin condition that you inherit from a family member who had it in the past. It begins during childhood and worsens with puberty, especially in women. Most people who experience excessive sweating have primary hyperhidrosis and certain triggers can cause it such as:
Certain foods like citric acid, coffee, peanut butter and spices
Emotional stress like anxiety
Heat
Certain odors
Secondary hyperhidrosis, also known as generalized hyperhidrosis, is excessive sweating that happens as a result of a medical condition. This typically occurs in adults, and common conditions or behaviors causing secondary hyperhidrosis may include:
Neurological syndromes
Metabolic diseases like diabetes, low blood sugar and gout
Severe psychological stress
Spinal cord injury
Parkinson’s
Chronic alcoholism
Some prescription drugs like antidepressants and insulins
What is miraDry and how does it treat hyperhidrosis?
The miraDry system is a quick and non-invasive treatment option. The procedure works by heating your sweat glands with electromagnetic energy to ultimately remove the glands all together. miraDry provides immediate, effective and long-lasting results since your sweat glands don’t regenerate. It’s important to note that this treatment does not affect your body’s ability to regulate temperature and cool itself. miraDry is proven to be effective in treating both excessive underarm sweat and foul-smelling sweat, but does not remove your body’s ability to sweat in other areas where it is less noticeable.
The procedure takes an hour to complete and by using local anesthesia like lidocaine injections, patients usually report little to no discomfort during the procedure. Most patients are able to return to their normal activities and work right after the procedure.
Common and minor side-effects of miraDry include underarm swelling, redness and tenderness lasting several days. On average for hyperhidrosis patients, sweating is reduced by 82% after two treatments.
Schedule a free consultation to explore excessive sweating management solutions
Excessive sweating can be embarrassing and inconvenient. At CAPS, we understand that your confidence is everything. That’s why CAPS is proud to offer effective treatment options to reduce your symptoms and stop sweating for good.
If you’re ready to start the conversation about miraDry with a professional, schedule a consultation to learn more about managing excessive sweating with miraDry today!