Doctor reveals 5 easy ways to treat excessive sweat
For the excessively sweaty, summer is no cause for celebration.
As temperatures rise, so do the risk of wet palms, soaked feet, stained shirts and slick faces. But do not fret about sweat — Dr. Scott Walter is sharing five ways to combat the problem.
“Having excessive sweat in your armpits, hands or feet is actually a medical diagnosis we call hyperhidrosis,” Walter, a board-certified dermatologist in the Denver area, explained in a TikTok last week.
About 220 million people worldwide (nearly 3% of the population) are estimated to suffer from hyperhidrosis, but Walter said the condition goes underreported as patients are often too embarrassed to talk to docs about their symptoms.
Symptoms of hyperhidrosis include visible sweating; problems holding a pen, turning a doorknob, or using a mouse or keyboard; and the skin staying wet for long periods, and possibly peeling after turning soft and white.
For those who struggle with sweat, Walter recommends aluminum chloride, medicated wipes, oral medications, iontophoresis devices and Botox.
Aluminum chloride (20% or more)
Topical aluminum chloride with a strength of 20% or more can be applied to the underarms, hands or feet to treat excessive sweat.
But Walter warns that while effective and available over the counter, aluminum chloride is “often too irritating for patients to use on a regular basis.”
Medicated wipes
A relatively new product, these prescription wipes contain the active ingredient glycopyrrolate. When applied locally, it blocks the body’s sweat production.
Oral medications
Walter said that taking medications like glycopyrrolate and oxybutynin help to “dial down how active your cholinergic nervous system is, which is what triggers sweating in the first place.”
Side effects associated with these drugs include hyperthermia, dry mouth, difficulty urinating, headaches, diarrhea and constipation.
Iontophoresis
Walter said that iontophoresis devices — water baths for the feet and hands and pads for the underarms — send electrical currents to localized areas of sweat to reduce sweat gland activity.
Botox
In what may be a surprise to some, Walter recommends that those with hyperhidrosis seek out Botox injections. He said, “We inject it locally into your armpits, hands or feet or wherever you’re having excess sweating, and it works by blocking the nerve signals, which trigger sweating.”
Botox treatments have been shown to reduce sweat by 82% to 87%, with results lasting three to six months.
Patients should consult their primary care physician before pursuing an anti-sweat treatment.
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