Usually, hyperhidrosis occurs in people who are otherwise medically fit, but sometimes it can be linked to an underlying medical condition.

There are two main types of sweat glands in the body – eccrine glands (found mostly on the hands, feet, face and armpits), and apocrine glands (found mostly in the armpit and genital regions). Hyperhidrosis tends to occur in body areas with the highest concentration of eccrine sweat glands, many patients report sweaty hands and feet but it can affect any part of the body.

Treatments at The Skin Hospital

Unfortunately, there are no cures for hyperhidrosis, but there are a number of different treatment options which may help to control excessive sweating. These include:

Self Care

• Avoid triggers that may start sweating; such as spicy food or caffeine.
• Wash daily.
• Wear clothing and footwear made of natural materials that can breathe, e.g. cotton.
• For foot sweating, change socks often and rotate your shoes so you don’t wear the same pair twice in a row

Physical therapies

• Antiperspirants: these often contain the ingredient aluminium chloride hexahydrate and can be used on parts of the body other than the armpits such as the hands and feet.
• Iontophoresis: this process uses electricity to treat the sweat glands, which is usually used to treat the palms and soles. The patient places their hands or feet into a solution which has a small electric current passed through it.

Medical therapies

• Anticholinergic tablets (glycopyrrolate): These tablets can help to reduce excess sweating, however they may have side-effects such as a dry mouth.
• Botulinum toxin (Botox): This procedure, of multiple injections of Botox under the skin,can be particularly useful for treatment of the underarms. This treatment usually lasts several months before needing to be repeated.

Surgery

• As a last resort, a surgical procedure can be performed. This surgery cuts the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands. After discussing this procedure with your doctor and it is thought that this is the most appropriate way forward, then a referral to a specialist surgeon can be made.

At The Skin Hospital our Speciality Clinics are run by dermatologists who have sub-specialised in a chosen condition bringing deep knowledge and specific expertise. The Skin Hospital runs a speciality clinic dedicated to the treatment of Hyperhidrosis at Darlinghurst run by Dr Elizabeth Willsteed, however all dermatologists at the Skin Hospital are highly trained to treat this condition.

If you would like to find out more about this speciality clinic please contact us.

Further Information

If you would like further information on hyperhidrosis the below sites provide more in-depth descriptions of this skin condition:

Hyperhidrosis – DermNet NZ

Hyperhidrosis – British Association of Dermatologists 

Additionally, there are also patient support groups, which may be helpful for sufferers and their families:

International Hyperhidrosis Society